An offer I couldn’t refuse
And I got ‘wheels’
My meeting with ‘Top’ (First Sergeant) was brief and to the point. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He said my records on file, qualified me to be the mail clerk for Charlie Troop. Prior to being drafted into the Army, I took a Civil Service correspondence course and at Fort Knox, I got a license to drive a military vehicle.
Along with sorting Charlie Troop mail this job would require me to toot around Phuoc Vinh in a 1/4-ton Jeep running errands and chauffeur for the upper brass. Another duty was taking dirty laundry down to Phuoc Vinh Village to be cleaned for a select few Charlie Troop ‘lifers’.
Was I going to be bored with this type of job? Would I miss the adrenalin rush I got from combat situations with the Blues? How about pulling blood sucking leeches off of my body after humping through the hot steamy jungle all day? Could I possibly miss any of these things with this new job?
The more I thought about being a mail clerk this late in my tour just made good sense and my chances of going back to the ‘World’ in one piece and not in a body bag would definitely improve…
My Vietnam Experience 
My father was in the 1st cavalry division and served as a mail clerk. I have been trying to put together a history of my father- he died when I was two. Could you please tell me what your duties were as a mail clerk, perhaps walk me through a typical day? I have had no luck researching his division or status as a mail clerk, so any information would mean a great deal to me.
thank you in advance.
p.s. I found out he had a D.O.T number, was this a permit of some sort related to driving a mail vehicle?
I was with the 31st Combat Eng. Delta Co. Phouch Vinh from 4/69 to 03/70. When I first arrived in country our unit was moving from Long Bien to Phouch Vinh. I had it made for my first month, then I heard top say we are being reassigned to base camp PV? I will never forget the brave men who I had the honor to serve with, it made me who I am today. My nickname working on it mill might find someone from my unit but so fare the only person I recognized online was one of our COs Christos A Dovas. Go figure! I would love to find McLamb he was a blast.
Craig, this is a great place to continue your search…Rob
My Vietnam experience