His Garrison cap (Overseas Cap) was broke down in the center with peaks at the front and back, proudly displaying that glider patch, his belt buckle was gleaming, his boots highly spit shined, I swear I could see my face in the toe of his boots. His Khaki uniform was so heavily starched you could hear that swishing sound as he ran toward the old 1959 Star Chief Pontiac my Dad was driving. Dad "Of Course" gave him the third degree asking him all of the right questions about his unit before allowing him to get in and the Soldier gave all the right answers. I had no clue what they were talking about. My Mom opened her door and the soldier jumped in the back seat with me, it looked as if you would cut your finger if you touched the crease of his pants.

Needless to say I was hooked. The paratrooper was on his way home for some holiday leave time. He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. I remember asking him question after question about jumping out of airplanes. I was totally in amazement hearing about his adventures. I did finally join the military.

No, not the Air Force, I became what we so proudly called a triple volunteer in the US Army. First you must volunteer to join the service, then you volunteer for Airborne School, and finally you must volunteer to go to combat. I went to Basic Training on the 5th of July 1966 at Fort Lost In The Woods Missouri. I did my Airborne Infantry Training (AIT) at Fort Gordon, Georgia and then on to Jump School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

My very first duty assignment was with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in November of 1966. I was an 11 Bravo Infantryman, Lean Mean Fighting Machine, and Light Weapons Specialist. I had originally signed up for Communications Specialist at the recruiters office. But while I was in Basic Training this Airborne Sergeant First Class Borne was recruiting Paratroopers. So I signed up, not knowing I had violated my contract with the Army. I ended up being Airborne unassigned, so they put me in the Infantry.

One day about six months later I remember my platoon sergeant coming through the barracks asking for volunteers to go to this little country called Vietnam. I volunteered, I didn't know I had just joined C Company, 3rd Battalion 503rd, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate).

The unit trained for over 6 months in the middle of summer wearing long underwear to prepare us for the tropical heat in the South Vietnam jungle. The 3rd Herd as we were so proudly called finally deployed. We flew from Pope Air Force Base to the West Coast and took a US Navy troop carrier, The USNS General William Weigel AP-119 from San Francisco, California to South Vietnam. It was a great adventure for me as we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge and on out pass "The Rock" Alcatraz Island. I Actually didn't know what I was in store for. I had only heard a little about Vietnam before coming in the Army. We arrived about 28 days later on the 23rd of October 1967 just in time for the Lunar New Year "Tet Offensive".

I remember arriving in country, most of all is when the ship was docking I looked down from the deck of the ship and saw Command Sergeant Major Bobby Teague and Colonel Cleland. They were standing there like two proud old warriors waiting for their troops to arrive safely. There was a band playing the Army song and lots of soldiers on the dock. It was a proud moment! We unloaded the ship and had a formation to formally welcome us to the country. Then we got issued live ammo right there on the dock and loaded onto the backs of deuce and half trucks. The convoy through the dusty Ho Chi Minh trail north to the Central Highlands was something you just don't forget.

There were little children on the side of the road begging for anything we would throw to them. The truck beds were lined with full sandbags in case we ran over a land mine. It was so dusty you could hear the dust bellowing under the tires of the truck. We finally arrived in Camp Radcliffe, An khe, South Vietnam. There we went through the Brigades Jungle school and finally on to join the rest of the Brigade as Sky Soldiers. One day while still in Ankhe one of my Basic Training buddies showed up. His name is Michael B. Ludas, he had done his tour in Nam and was on his way home. It was a great reunion because we got separated right after Jump School. We yelled at each other in the standard military way "Ludas, Michael B." "Cook, William E." and stood in the middle of the road hugging. A short time later maybe two or three months I ran into two of my hometown friends, Reginald Terry and Henry Rattery. They told me at my going away party to Vietnam that they would find me. "MAN WAS I SURPRISED" when I ran into them together at the holding area across the road from the Jungle School in Ankhe. They came in the army on the buddy system. We had time to have a few beers and for me to ask about home and my Mom.

I was one of the lucky ones, I survived Vietnam and was stationed at Fort Benning with the 197th Infantry Brigade as an aggressor for soldiers going to Vietnam. I got my discharge from the Army in 1972. I went through a religious period, changed my name, and after a 10-year break from the active Army I came back in! It was November 1982 I went right back to the 82nd Airborne Division as a 63 Bravo, Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic and has been serving proudly every since. I have two adult sons, Billy Cook, Jr. a Computer programmer, and Michael Fredrick Cook a professional Drummer "I love you fellows" I retired from the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, I was the (S-4) Senior Maintenance Supervisor for the Group.

Some of my assignments while I was on active duty were. The 313th Military Intelligence Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. The 5th of the 9th Manchu, 6th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Delta 1-61, 4th Basic Combat Training Brigade Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Bravo company 702nd Main Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Camp Nimble, Korea and finally HHC 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) "It has been a very rewarding 24 years of service, "I'm no hero, but I've served with some!" You can click here to visit my web site or you can contact me at 910-273-5686 or fax me at my International E-fax 781-846-4685, e-mail address is ankhe173@aol.com

GOD BLESS OUR SKY SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. GOD BLESS OUR ARMY AND GOD BLESS AMERICA" (ROLL TIDE)