Charles Neilson
Marine

About Charles Neilson

First Name:

Charles Joseph

Last Name:

Neilson MD

Rank:

E-5

Do you own a business?:

No

Where did you attend bootcamp?:

MCRD San Diego

What date did you graduate bootcamp?:

November 1965

What was your bootcamp platoon number?:

275

Duty Stations:

H&MS 56, MCAF, SantaAna,
7thMT Btn,C.Pendleton & ChuLai/DaNang
ITR, Camp Horno, Camp Pendleton

Year Entered Marine corps:

1965

Year Exited Marine Corps:

1967

Favorite Duty Station:

MCAF, Santa Ana

Favorite Marine:

General Alexander A. Vandegrift

Wars and conflicts you were in involved in?:

Vietnam

Combat History:

Riding on convoys in the bed of a deuce and a half with an M60 to respond to pot shots at the convoy and maintaining firepower control after other trucks run over command detonated mines. Reaction force to night time harrassment at base camp at hill 327 in DaNang. Getting rocks thrown at me by A company Marines who I awoke before their guard duty when I played "Taps" at Midnight at our CO's order in order to signal "lights out" in all of the tents (you know, pay day and card playing all night long!)

Military Biography:

Volunteered for the Marine Draft in Aug65 and thus was accepted for only two year stint. Turned down Marine Aviation Cadet Training out of bootcamp since it required 5 more years signup. With no time for schools before going to Vietnam, I was sent to 7th Motor T Battalion as a college kid that the Adjutant, Gunner Barthold, could use for 0141 duties as well as M60 gunner on convoys and as a security guard for our Battalion Surgeon and Corpsmen on MEDCAP operations in the villes. After 12 months in 'Nam, I went to MCAF in Santa Ana with H&MS 56, H&S Co doing 0141 and the Barracks Sergeant to serve out my time. With 51 days in grade as a PFC, I had earliers made Lance in 'Nam which paved the way for making E-5 in 21 months at my last duty station. I was offered Marine Security Guard school and embassy duty if I would reenlist, but I turned it down as I was accepted for premed at UCLA. Being in the Corps was truly the best two years of my life!

Current City:

Sugar Land, Texas

Current State:

Texas

Hometown:

Houston

Home State:

Texas

High School:

Mirabeau B. Lamar

Gender:

Male

Occupation:

Emergency Physician, Medical Director of only 24 hour/day rural hospital emergency telemedicine site in the world

Colleges Attended:

University of Texas,Austin
UCLA, Los Angeles(BA'70)
Albany Medical College of
Union University,Albany New York (grad'75)

Interests:

offshore fishing, boating, rifle range, big band trumpet (performing),

Favorite Quote:

Mas vale morir de pie que vivir de las rodillas - E. Zapata

Favorite Color:

Forest Green

Favorite Movie:

Bitter Moon

Favorite Book:

For the New Intellectual (Ayn Rand)