This is my paternal grandfather, Randy Huff. He was born in 1951 in Winston- Salem, NC. He graduated from Parkland High School in 1970. In 1971 he was drafted by the US Army to serve in the Vietnam war. He was 20 years old when he was drafted and reported to Fort Jackson, SC on February 17, 1971. He was in basic training for 8 weeks. During basic training he had to learn how to handle weapons and repair major machines. On May 7th, 1971 he was ordered to report to Fort Eustis, VA where he  learned air frame repair on helicopters. He was chosen for this job due to prior experience in auto body paint and repair. During the war, helicopters were an essential tool in transportation of forces from the base to the battlefield. My grandfather was officially deployed on September 6th, 1971. He landed in Cam Ranh Bay on the east side of Vietnam. He was then sent to Phu Loi Base Camp in Southern Vietnam for 6 months to help with repair of US helicopters. After 6 months he was deployed to Can Tho, Vietnam where he was stationed until the end of his service in September 1972.At the end of his service he came out as an E-4 rank.This meant he had specialized skills and a lot of experience, although he did not hold direct leadership responsibilities. To this day he still shares stories with me about his experiences from serving in the war and being away from home. He often mentions what his time in service meant to him in being able to serve his country.

– CH

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant