thedrifter
04-17-07, 08:45 AM
Students forge connection with Vietnam veterans
By DENNIS MAGEE
Courier Regional Editor
INDEPENDENCE --- Carrie Amos thinks a lot of her father. More since he began to share details about his life.
"I really wasn't that curious, because it wasn't brought up," Amos says.
Jim Peterson volunteered to be a Marine. Then 19 years old, he served in Vietnam and grew familiar with jungle warfare. He spent eight months of 1969 with what became his band of brothers. They frequented places near the demilitarized zone, like Vandergriff Combat Base, the Rockpile and Hill 484.
Their task was fairly straightforward.
"Detect enemy operations," Peterson says.
His description of what happened after the short helicopter flights and long marches is equally spartan.
"It wasn't fun."
Then President Nixon ended the conflict. Peterson and what was left of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, came home and picked up where they left off.
Peterson returned to Winthrop and went to work at Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids. Members of Charlie Company pushed Vietnam and their experiences into the background.
"We were kind of in denial," he says.
The men of Charlie Company --- who once depended daily on each other's careful and considered actions for survival --- went their separate ways. Peterson spoke to none of his colleagues for 30 years.
Until Mike McRea --- formerly known as Sgt. Mac --- started looking for his old unit. He lived in Mooresville, N.C., and tracked a Marine --- formerly known as Farmer --- to Buchanan County, Iowa.
Peterson, 58, shared the idea with his daughter of a planned reunion.
"He was really excited. It was also kind of emotional because he hadn't really talked about his time in Vietnam," Amos says.
She is a first-grade teacher at St. John's Catholic School in Independence and invited her father to meet her students.
"I learned a lot that time, probably more in that one presentation than all the years growing up," Amos says.
Peterson admits addressing some inner demons on that first occasion. But he thought sharing some of what he knows was important.
"I wanted to so bad that I had to. I had to get it off my chest."
She also decided her students would craft a few presents as a way to show their appreciation for the Marines. The reunion, delayed by events on 9/11, took place in November 2001 in St. Louis. Peterson delivered a few notes and paper American flags colored with crayons. Seven Marines attended.
"I took the flags down there, and they thought it was great," Peterson says.
"Respect. Somebody finally recognized us."
Glowing reviews for the kids' heartfelt messages and drawings inspired what is now a tradition in Mrs. Amos' classroom.
"So we said, 'We could do that again.'"
And they have for six years. Mostly recently the first-graders compiled an ABC book. A is for America. B is for Brave. C is for Charlie Company, according to the kids.
Peterson distributed the pamphlets in November. He visited the classroom Thursday to share his story again.
"C could be for Courage," John Nabholz suggested.
The 7- and 8-year-olds peppered the veteran with questions, too.
Where did you go to the restroom?
"You dug a trench and covered it with branches."
How did you keep leftovers?
"You mean food? Usually we were hungry. If you opened it, you ate it."
What did you do with the guns?
"We kept them with us at all times."
How many times did you go into battle?
"A few."
Did you have any fun in Vietnam?
"Some of it was fun. Some of it wasn't. About like school. You have fun in school sometimes, don't you?"
How did you get back to Iowa?
"They said you could go home if you wanted, so I went home," Peterson said.
Using photographs --- carefully selected for young eyes --- Peterson tried to explain life in Vietnam in 1969 for kids living comfortably in 2007.
"If you lit a cigarette at night, the enemy could see you. And you didn't want that," he said.
An image of an underground bunker prompted another inquiry.
"That's where the emenies lived?" 7-year-old Tayten Anderson asked.
"It's emenies ... enemies," a young colleague corrected.
Amos believes each telling makes the story easier for her father. Instead of asking him to speak, she says he now asks what day to show up. He remains a humble, quiet man in her opinion.
"He's not one who likes to be in the limelight," Amos says.
Reunions are low-key affairs as well. Amos attended two years ago. The warriors --- not as lean, not as mean but still Marines --- greeted her with hugs.
"They just really like to sit back and enjoy each other's company," Amos says.
They're regular guys who survived extraordinary events.
"They went through a lot," Amos says.
Contact Dennis Magee at (319) 291-1451 or dennis.magee@wcfcourier.com.
Ellie
By DENNIS MAGEE
Courier Regional Editor
INDEPENDENCE --- Carrie Amos thinks a lot of her father. More since he began to share details about his life.
"I really wasn't that curious, because it wasn't brought up," Amos says.
Jim Peterson volunteered to be a Marine. Then 19 years old, he served in Vietnam and grew familiar with jungle warfare. He spent eight months of 1969 with what became his band of brothers. They frequented places near the demilitarized zone, like Vandergriff Combat Base, the Rockpile and Hill 484.
Their task was fairly straightforward.
"Detect enemy operations," Peterson says.
His description of what happened after the short helicopter flights and long marches is equally spartan.
"It wasn't fun."
Then President Nixon ended the conflict. Peterson and what was left of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, came home and picked up where they left off.
Peterson returned to Winthrop and went to work at Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids. Members of Charlie Company pushed Vietnam and their experiences into the background.
"We were kind of in denial," he says.
The men of Charlie Company --- who once depended daily on each other's careful and considered actions for survival --- went their separate ways. Peterson spoke to none of his colleagues for 30 years.
Until Mike McRea --- formerly known as Sgt. Mac --- started looking for his old unit. He lived in Mooresville, N.C., and tracked a Marine --- formerly known as Farmer --- to Buchanan County, Iowa.
Peterson, 58, shared the idea with his daughter of a planned reunion.
"He was really excited. It was also kind of emotional because he hadn't really talked about his time in Vietnam," Amos says.
She is a first-grade teacher at St. John's Catholic School in Independence and invited her father to meet her students.
"I learned a lot that time, probably more in that one presentation than all the years growing up," Amos says.
Peterson admits addressing some inner demons on that first occasion. But he thought sharing some of what he knows was important.
"I wanted to so bad that I had to. I had to get it off my chest."
She also decided her students would craft a few presents as a way to show their appreciation for the Marines. The reunion, delayed by events on 9/11, took place in November 2001 in St. Louis. Peterson delivered a few notes and paper American flags colored with crayons. Seven Marines attended.
"I took the flags down there, and they thought it was great," Peterson says.
"Respect. Somebody finally recognized us."
Glowing reviews for the kids' heartfelt messages and drawings inspired what is now a tradition in Mrs. Amos' classroom.
"So we said, 'We could do that again.'"
And they have for six years. Mostly recently the first-graders compiled an ABC book. A is for America. B is for Brave. C is for Charlie Company, according to the kids.
Peterson distributed the pamphlets in November. He visited the classroom Thursday to share his story again.
"C could be for Courage," John Nabholz suggested.
The 7- and 8-year-olds peppered the veteran with questions, too.
Where did you go to the restroom?
"You dug a trench and covered it with branches."
How did you keep leftovers?
"You mean food? Usually we were hungry. If you opened it, you ate it."
What did you do with the guns?
"We kept them with us at all times."
How many times did you go into battle?
"A few."
Did you have any fun in Vietnam?
"Some of it was fun. Some of it wasn't. About like school. You have fun in school sometimes, don't you?"
How did you get back to Iowa?
"They said you could go home if you wanted, so I went home," Peterson said.
Using photographs --- carefully selected for young eyes --- Peterson tried to explain life in Vietnam in 1969 for kids living comfortably in 2007.
"If you lit a cigarette at night, the enemy could see you. And you didn't want that," he said.
An image of an underground bunker prompted another inquiry.
"That's where the emenies lived?" 7-year-old Tayten Anderson asked.
"It's emenies ... enemies," a young colleague corrected.
Amos believes each telling makes the story easier for her father. Instead of asking him to speak, she says he now asks what day to show up. He remains a humble, quiet man in her opinion.
"He's not one who likes to be in the limelight," Amos says.
Reunions are low-key affairs as well. Amos attended two years ago. The warriors --- not as lean, not as mean but still Marines --- greeted her with hugs.
"They just really like to sit back and enjoy each other's company," Amos says.
They're regular guys who survived extraordinary events.
"They went through a lot," Amos says.
Contact Dennis Magee at (319) 291-1451 or dennis.magee@wcfcourier.com.
Ellie