Don Roden and Rosemary Roden

00:05 Hi, my name is Don Roden. I'm 71 years old. I live in Amarillo, Texas. I'm currently at the Texas Panhandle war memorial and Amarillo, Texas at with my wife Rosemary and we're here till a little bit of our story.

00:21 Hi, my name is Rosemary Roden. I am 68 and today is Wednesday, October 29th, 2020 and we are in Amarillo, Texas. And this is my husband Don Roden and he's going to tell us about his life and what took him to the Vietnam War.

00:44 I like let me go back a little bit until you a little bit about my childhood. I had four four brothers. I was I was a baby. So I really got a lot of attention. Oh my my mother pampered me a little bit more than others, but I always seem to get my way but I had four or three wonderful brothers Sam old is wengie in my next oldest one in jail next to me and then and myself and we grew up actually initially on a farm outside Holton, Texas and your typical Farm boys. We we got into a lot of lot of trouble probably but we had a lot of fun throwing dirt clods and just have a lot of fun. But unfortunately my dad lost farm and then we had to move into a little bit of a suburb suburb is falling down on half way he works for the county and that's that's where we went after half.

01:45 We left the farm and now we stayed there several years and my experience was was fantastic. You do during that time. I got to go out on weekends. And then in the summer with my dad on the big maintainer, which was a road grader and I love that and that's as far as my brothers. We did a lot of rock-throwing. We did a lot of what we call the Army playing with Cowboys and Indians a good childhood. But unfortunately when I was in the eighth grade that my family gets put up my mom and dad got divorced and do that sort of

02:23 Really separated the two younger brothers with the two older brothers by two older brothers stayed with my dad and half way and then my brother next to a gym, but we moved off to Austin and and live with my mother and stepfather. But anyway, I went to noveria schools around Austin then we moved to Baytown and I really felt all still on. My route was still in the west Texas and in the Plainview Olsen Amarillo area. So actually on my own I got up and moved back to Olton Texas and live with a friend during my high school years and and that's really was the turning point of my life on deciding what to do. I knew that I was back then this was 1967 when I was in my senior year.

03:20 I knew that, you know, I couldn't could afford college. So, you know back then we didn't know anything too much about grants and things. I thought my only alternative was to join the military and I thought well military. Can I also will pay for my education when I get out.

03:37 So after I finish my senior year and Olson, I enjoyed the summer and then I decided to join join the Marine Corps. So I have come up to Amarillo took my swearing oath to join the Marines and I was in boot camp in September of 1967 and really the brain cause I knew that I always wanted to join ring car cuz I was like, you know supposed to be a tough group and I guarantee it was boot camp was really tough and really text you they break you down and build you back up and really do a good job of getting you physically and mentally fit and now we did a lot we did do a lot of training. I knew that I would probably going to be so we did initial basic training in San Diego MCR Depot and

04:34 After I finished boot camp, I got it. I did get a two-week leave come home to Olson visit friends and family and then I went back to ITR which is infantry training more specialized training. So during that time we trained on various tactics and weapons and sayings and getting close to the end of my truck. That was the when the Tet Offensive occurred in Vietnam. So they actually shorten our training Time by two weeks and they shipped us out on Valentine's Day of 1968. So I was amazingly, you know, we were really flowing into the war zone.

05:18 The name and you know at first I didn't know I didn't feel really fearful for my last too much but as time goes on and send buddies come in in in in body bags and going out on patrol not coming back and being airlifted to Medevac hospital to think it got real serious real quick. We did a lot of patrols. We did a lot of patrols and lovey encounters were, you know, we we just saw a shadow about that night and died. We would encounter and in the LBC or in VA and and we would have a you know, probably the most the time when they were very short and if we wound up by killing in any of the VC or NVA, we would take him to the local Village that we were close to and left.

06:18 Identify the bodies, but typically, you know, we would go out on patrol again during the day and and really the heat was stifling. I mean we were flak jackets, but it was still very very uncomfortable trying to walk in any distance in die in the heat in the swamp and try to take a selfie. We actually had to drink water out of a lot of the wells and Vietnam and they give us hell Zone tablets, which we can feel purified water fairly quick, but it was still something that you know, you really have to take a chance on and if there is one I guess I volunteered for an activity that a lot of people you have to volunteer for Oreo start a job if they train you for I become a tunnel rat decided to you know, I would take my chances and and go into the

07:18 The towels in the Audi to go in there and flush the NBA out. Let me know our other groups and also the booby trap issue was a was a big deal with drug watch make sure no booby traps around the towels. I would usually take C4 which is highly explosive. I'll take C4 down in the tunnels and and usually set the charge for about 15 or 20 seconds and then I would pull up pull up in in Hurley get out of the house. I will I do remember actually the first time that I ever went in as I did that and pull up in jumped out and started running and got behind a a rice paddy and I look beside me and there was a artillery round that had been been shot at but it was it not blowing up.

08:18 Man, I hope this thing don't go off, you know, cause the Kentucky concussion of the last that I put in a title. Luckily. I did not go off and that was that was one of my chances at a job escaped over Vietnam. But anyway, we were one of the one of the

08:38 Good times that we were out on patrol squads. We were headed up further up north of the name. We were going to reinforce. Another Marine unit has come under Fire for fire and we were we had walked quite a ways and then decide to split up and go around one Plank and we would go around us like but what I was carrying at the time was was what's it called LOLs, it was a horrible rocket launcher that I carried in that used in that I had actually at the time we split up I had three of them on my back and so those other squad leader wanted to have one of those to have a little bit more Firepower other Squad Chase Bank counter. Simpson heavy fire. So I pull when I bought my shoulder and hand it to him and it happened to be these rounds.

09:38 You know, it's ready. It's really ready to fire. So anyway.

09:44 I was walking down a trail. I do remember I mean it's just like yesterday and I was actually the second one from the end on the squad we had about about 10 people in are left in Our Stars Squad. We were walking down a path and you know, all of a sudden I was on my back and I felt like I was in the barrel and I had stepped on a booby trap and blue me up about 15 feet straight up. So, you know, I was laying on my back and I could not move and I just really the first thing I asked him what have I got both my legs. I couldn't could really tell that if I had my arm was up all night, you know, I know my left arm.

10:32 I look to my left arm in my left arm was almost severed at the elbow for fentanyl. So anyway, my right foot was really hurting really really bad and I told him to try to take my boot off if you can and relieve the pressure so they they did that and also at the time I had to pull up put a I guess I want your ladder over me because the sun was beating down on its really really bad and it was really hot. And I guess that's how to burn from a blasted burnt my legs quite a bit, but they took my boot off and didn't help much seem like but you know, I was conscious the whole time and the the Blasted broken right leg so bad that it's busted my right tibia and fibula and never took it out my leg. So that was why was pretty painful, but we started getting Small Arms fire.

11:32 It's time so that didn't help things and I can remember I'm on the radio calling for a Medevac and it was a lad which is wounded in action. I call for a w a Medevac Chopper. And so anyway between the small alarm fire and Andrews Medevac Chopper trying to come in. They took two or three attempts to try to you know, get me picked up and so I can remember the the time they put me on a poncho liner and actually is a chopper never did land. They just threw me up in the chopper and we took off for today and that's where they stabilized me and give me a spine when I can remember to pick it up my legs and poking me. It was a needle in their I couldn't feel my legs all of that done this file to do the surgery and remove a lot of the Trap.

12:32 Place the bones

12:36 Stay there a few days. I was transferred to tripler General Army hospital in Hawaii where they did the final I guess surgeries on my arm and and legs I had to have several skin grafts on my leg to repair wounds.

12:55 I'll probably had probably maybe I don't know probably.

13:02 At least 500 or more stitches in my legs overall.

13:06 I did rehab there quite a bit and

13:11 Anyway, I remember the therapy with pretty pretty tough trying to get my arms moving and walking things you love me. Anyway, I stayed there three months and then they transferred me to tripler General transfer me to Corpus Christi Naval Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas and it happened to be that my brother was in the Navy of time. He just got back from deployment in the Navy for Vietnam. And anyway, I will stay there for three months and still did not rehab rehab and got recovered and then I sent me back out to California for my file to relax. They got out early out from being in Vietnam. I spent a little over two years in the Marine Corps Corporal in the United States Marine Corps when I got out and and I did go to Amarillo.

14:11 Judge in West Texas A&M. Oh my GI Bill after I got out and then started my career that I eventually finished up with Zachary and cheering after 41 years 7 months and then I retired 2 years ago.

14:31 So anyway, that's that was my my story and I was very glad to serve my country and I do not regret it. But also it's really, you know, my message to the young kids just you know, why freedom is not free and there's always a price to pay and that that's a direct reflection of what it's for is for families and friends to come in honor of those that did make the sacrifice and in a lot of them did make a make the ultimate price. I pay the ultimate price and lost her life for his service and it has been hard over the years to watch Young be in pain.

15:25 And not a lot they can do about it.

15:31 It has gotten better over the years the VA has improved that has gotten better for the servicemen and the ones with injuries that has gotten better, but it has been hard to beat his wife then to know what he went through and to know the stuff for and he went through but I cannot begin to say how proud I am of him. My brother served two tours in Vietnam and likely came home safely. He did have friends that did not my dad was in World War II Army Air corps, we both come from military families and we are proud very proud Americans.

16:17 About the address or 2 better in the in the Army and fought at the Battle of the Bulge and I was very proud of him for doing that. I really wish I was paid spent more time with him talking about his military career and and what he did go through and then I remember what time time he'll you kept asking me to join the local VFW and American Legion and I really know when I got out of the military, I wish I wasn't angry but I just really did not want you know really be associated with with anything that has to do with that. You know, I guess I'll ask but I have definitely changed my thinking because the between the VFW and American Legion and other organizations that support military is very very important the fact I am the commander 3, which is 26 County.

17:17 Manhandle hear our mission is to really serve serve all combat wounded veterans and their families and not and do what we can to support down. But also I have been elected to the board of directors for the Texas Panhandle work border Texarkana war memorial and education center. I'm very proud to be it'll be a part of that. We've got great plans. We've just opened up a visitation center that really is is really top-notch is going to be really nice for the local schools that can come and be educated on the various Star Wars in the in the different different things that are better to go through

18:03 I think it's still it's the military is a very wonderful thing and I think there's something for everyone in the military where there is such a child boy out of our girl out of high school and they can't afford to go to college or its kids out of college and wanting to pursue Higher Learning in the military and it teaches you patriotism that teaches you responsibility leadership. I still think that the military is a wonderful thing for our country and

18:43 They all should give it a chance. Lots of veterans that have not come out of the military with great careers that they have developed within the military and in the end, I guess one of the one of the ones that really offers a really good career path is Aviation, but you do have to commit to think it when I was going anywhere 6 Years yet commit 6 years what caused extensive training but if it paid off in the end, so there's I know a lot of friends right now that if it was in the aviation and they've got really good careers and then dun dun well,

19:22 Every fourth of July now that we have grandkids. We have a big party in our backyard on the 4th of July. We do fireworks. We play patriotic music march with sparklers. We talked about Fort McHenry. We just have a wonderful time because if we do not teach our kids I know that they might not be taught. So I think it's a wonderful thing to be patriotic and to remember our country and where we came from.

19:57 So do you have any questions for us?

20:02 Could you to talk about when you met and how you met?

20:11 Okay, I was early in my career.

20:16 And now here in Amarillo, Texas and you know, I was here would buy three brothers at the time and two of them had. Started a a Auto Parts business and they were one brother that was dedicated to that and then when brother that was actually the brains of that business and he actually was in the X-ray business and you know, we were back then things to do with either attract Polk Street or parties are some of the local pub hang out or bars that we go dancing and I guess when the bomb was real popular I went to

21:10 Happy hour after work. I work at a bank and I met him at happy hour and that started the group the relationship and we were together always after that and got married.

21:23 It's been a wonderful marriage.

21:34 Don are you still connected with some of the other men that you served with child friendship from that time in Vietnam? And the one I just wanted some of the close ones that I remember what killed and I really, you know again, I'm not I'm not angry bird on the military. I just never have you know, really got into re-read living some of those little times since I've really not any of the activities are options that are in the past.

22:18 So what does your bowel movement with the war memorial? What does like what kind of stuff do you do with them?

22:28 Well, we actually the board of directors of sales. They meet weekly here at the war memorial we talked about the different ceremonies where you're going to have we planned ceremonies back for planning the Veterans Day ceremony as we speak we do and we try to combat various businesses and individuals that will support and not contribute to the activities here. I will bring Little Dipper veteran families to the war memorial and then just really honor and pay tribute to the to their loved ones that may have already you know that passed away or even lost her life during military memorials out there that identify all of the Texas Panhandle veterans that have lost their life in the all of the wars in past.

23:28 We got a great now education center. We got a lot of military artifacts history data that in very on various Wars. So a lot of people to come here and learn all about no Afghanistan war Vietnam War Korean War I War adding to this stage case that are you all the time and I'm trying to get to talk to donate artifacts to yet.

23:56 It's a great facility. We are very fortunate that the early board of directors and leaders of the world Memorial was able to have the vision in the developed this. Oh, yeah. I had another recording yesterday with some folks that are involved. Like there's a big veteran community in Amarillo. This is that true. Oh, that's true. We only got several organizations.

24:24 Vietnam veterans of Amarillo American Legion VFW VFW Post Commander doing a fantastic job for the VFW members and the community for them and he is actually on the board of directors as well for the war memorial and we do reach out to other chapters of the military with a purple heart. Will you reach out to Lubbock chapter o 950 going we combined our resources and helped, you know various families and getting more recognition for for the family. We actually had a coin challenge coin generated for Thomas Creek and his his family. Thomas Creek was a medal of honor winner or actually recipient.

25:24 The gorilla Veterans Affairs Hospital is named after Thomas. So his family is still here and represent of childs born to him and to his brother and his family and they were very proud of that. We did a bench for sergeant Cameron medic out of Spearman. We had several folks that actually they volunteered as well as donated funds to we wanted to plant the orange lamp three trees and recognition and honor Sergeant medic. We had Krause landscape, they went up and planning to spray trees. And then we had a nice Grant bench engraved 200 charge American within that was completed this year and we are very proud that we support.

26:24 Military purple heart x553 we do support a lot of activities throughout the Panhandle. We help the better various programs at the VA Hospital clothing program housing program. And so we just try to get donations as well for our chapter 2 to do various activities for the veterans and their families the programs that you have has programming been able to continue throughout the pandemic or have you had to stop?

26:56 Well, we have waited has at his limitations. We were planning on a real big guy grand opening ceremony here at the end of the war memorial we were not able to do that. So that was a very big disappointment but we did go ahead and open up and do it and do we do now follow the guidelines in place. The governor has placed on a Texas business is an indifferent Debra activities. So we are in business and we are getting various visitors to visit to your War Memorial in the education center, which is great, but we would like that certainly I have more and we're looking forward to our community.

27:45 And going back a little bit so that I have a history. Were you two married before you went to Vietnam actually right out of high school?

28:06 So anyway now we met several years.

28:09 Married and actually had. Gone to college and then started my career.

28:22 She lives here in Amarillo, and she's married to a marine veteran that served in Iraq, and he works for the VA hospital and dab.

28:36 I did very well. I have a nice life.

28:40 Must be nice to have them close by it is the grandkids want to spend the night every weekend have different interest. And so we're taking advantage while we can.

29:03 That's wonderful. Wonderful, and we still have about 10 minutes. Rosemary. If you want to talk at all about, you know, your life growing up or anything that you want to add to the history of this recording today.

29:20 Wales

29:23 As I said on my identity paragraph my mother married an American GI after the end of the war in France. She was only 17 but her parents thought it would be a better life for her at the time cuz friends was Europe was so and destruction that they just thought it would be a good opportunity for her, but she came here and it was not I think that happened to a lot of War Brides after three children. The marriage didn't work out in my mother. She always says she's not a Catholic now that she grew up in a Catholic church and Catholic school. And as she said, she she was taught the best values and morals then she just gave that to her children and empathy.

30:23 She was just a wonderful mother and worked real hard never got to go back to France to see her parents and siblings never got to go back. I think they're growing up. That way has just made me a better person and some ways. I don't think any take anything for granted. I'm so thankful for everything. I have whether it's big or small.

30:52 It's just life is good. That's all I know life is good. No matter what kind of circumstances you come from. You can always find positives and you can always find a rainbow out there life is just good if you just open your eyes and see it, very small family Customs that in my mother had two sisters still living at the time. I got to make them go to the graves of my grandparents and great-grandparents. My mother talks a lot about the war what they went through how hard it was and she waste nothing today nothing and that's that's because of how she grew up in.

31:46 We just went back assault lot of history. My grandfather was in the he was an officer in the French army.

31:55 It was just a hard time a hard time in those people's lives than it when I think about all that young American gi's that went over there and they lost their lives and I never had a chance to have a home have a wife have children and I love is just so heartbreaking. But when I think about the liberation of the French people and all the people what it did for my mother and her family and everybody else.

32:25 In-N-Out

32:28 The war was probably worth it, you know and all the Lost lives there but people don't realize how many civilians died during that were. Also how many civilians that were not involved in the war, but they died and we did have an opportunity to go to Normandy beaches invade France and it was very very surreal and then nothing built or actually all those speeches because of that and I got several Monument set your they have built but the cemeteries are just you just hard to imagine how many military in American lives were lost over there and stand on the beach and look down the beach and how long it is and the end you see it you realize that she is coming in.

33:28 The beach and the

33:32 They were just didn't have a chance coming up on the beach. You know, when and where you went into some of the bunkers that they were firing machine guns toward the Americans and there's those bunkers. You could not even see the ocean 11 really unfortunate on the beach that really hot really is such that it was a very interesting tree up and very worthwhile Trail, but very sad,

34:06 Yeah, I mean it's very interesting for me to hear about these stories as a young person because I can only read about these kinds of things and folks who have actually lived through them have actually lived through them. So I feel it's very important to have all this history recorded and just part of part of the American history. So yeah, I get my mother was living during the war they lived south of Paris and a little little village the name of the village was Man Ray and it was 9 miles near Shadow done and there was a German air base there and the Germans every once in awhile.

34:49 What course the Germans were there all the time, but she talks about how hard it was and how her mother and her grandmother would protect them from the Germans then.

35:00 It was it was very very scary for them and she would ride her bicycle 9 miles to get rations. The Germans would give them rations and it was like two pieces of bread for like a week for each person in the family and

35:18 The stories that they could tell if we could if everybody could just tear them and my mother's 93 now and she still living and she still talks about all those things and I'm so glad cuz I want I want to hear him and you might tell your mom. Well there in Lynn Ray. My mother was sitting on a bench and my dad was stationed at that are based at the Germans had occupied but it was liberated by the Americans and my dad and a group of soldiers were riding by on a bicycle because that's how they got around with some bicycles during World War II soldiers and everything and he was riding by and he saw my mother out sitting on that bench and that was it.

36:13 Pursued her after that and that's how he met my mother and that it turned out not to be a good thing and sometimes she's bitter about it, and she

36:24 She wishes that she would had stayed in her home country and there was her family and but life is what it is. Do you think that she would be interested in doing one of these recordings? I think it would be very special if you would be able to do one of these with her. So her story can be part of their the record. I don't know.

36:50 I would have to ask her she's kind of shy so I don't know I would have to ask her it might be worth asking just because it's cool. Like you told, you know, you're part of the history but have heard us as well might be really special for you and for your daughter and your grandchildren and great-grandchildren someday, maybe maybe work ask more questions, you know, he was in the Army Air Corps and they participated in D-Day and flew their Troopers and over the English Channel and

37:25 But I just did it and now I'm wondering why didn't you suck and later he develop Alzheimer's and you know, I think it's so important that young people talk to their parents the ones that have been in the military in the military and in Warren hear those stories. Yeah, we had a neighbor for 25 years and he was a rear gunner in a B-17 and he told me a few stories about how they were shot down in Poland and what they went through and

37:58 I just wish we could have asked more questions and heard more in.

38:03 Was it good to keep asking the questions? So you're very lucky to still have your mother around I make sure to ask all your questions.

38:12 I tried she tries to remember, you know, like I said, she's ninety-three, but what's the washroom? Say what I remember my grandmother would make them little house shoe booties as an army blanket every year and they would wear those little booties inside their wooden shoes to walk to school. Remember that that is so neat. Thank you both so much for sharing. We've come to the end of the thank you both so much for letting me ask questions.