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1 |
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Doc Kilpatrick's Pictures |
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Click helicopter |
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Go to |
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We few. We happy few.
We band of brothers.
For those who shed their
blood with us today shall
always be our brothers. |
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P. 2 |
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View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook |
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P. 3 |
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William Shakespeare |
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P. 4 |
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A-Troop 7/17 Air Cav |
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P. 5 |
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How did a Cajun boy from Houma, Louisiana who believed in God and Country, and hadn't traveled much, end up on the other side of the world fighting a war he knew nothing about? Just ask Uncle Sam. After making a "slightly" less than 4.0 GPA, Louisiana Tech decided that my time might be put to better use elsewhere. So I answered my draft board with a "hell, yes" when they "asked" if I'd like to serve, and was drafted into the United States Army, only to be sent directly to Fort Polk (affectionately know as Fort "Puke") in Louisiana where I spent eight weeks of basic training, the latter part of which was endured with pneumonia! I was next sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas because someone decided I was medic material. I learned to give shots (we won't talk about how many penicillin injections I gave and for what ailment), stop bleeding, apply bandages, and assorted duties now referred to as EMT.
After celebrating my 21st birthday in the good ole US of A, I shipped out five days later for Vietnam. I landed in Cam Ranh Bay and was assigned to the 7/17th Air Cav in Pleiku (Camp Enari).
One thing I learned in-country was that this war was not about "saving" the Vietnamese people from Communism. All these lovely people cared about was having enough food on the table to feed their ever-increasing families. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. To us guys on the ground, the Snakes circling overhead, the LOCHs flying nearby, and the great-looking Lift Ships were music to every man's ears when on patrol! |
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P. 6 |
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Young and dumb and flying with the best: Air Cav
Doc Kilpatrick
In Country: May 1968 to May 1969 |
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P. 7 |
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P. 8 |
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My Info: |
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Name: |
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Robert E. (Doc) Kilpatrick |
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Email: |
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r2kready@yahoo.com |
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Phone: |
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318-861-2758 |
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Links: |
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A-Troop Home Page |
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Doc Kilpatrick's Helicopter Pics |
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1st Air Cav Medic Page |
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The best part (hell, the only good part) of serving was the friendships I made with fellow soldiers who became my brothers in every sense of the word. We went through hell together, ate together, slept together, cried together, partied together, and dreamed together about going back to the World. |
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Being a medic, I tried to the best of my ability to take care of my fellow soldiers/brothers. Some I know I helped, and a few I just wasn't able to help, but that's the business of war. All I wanted to do was make it back home alive and in one piece. Thanks to my buddies/brothers, God Almighty, and a hell of a lot of luck...I MADE IT! |
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Ready for work
Spec 4 Mercado amd Doc having a Coke for breakfast. Note Bleakness, our dog. |
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Greetings from Uncle Sam
Robert (soon to be Doc) Kilpatrick's induction notice |
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Libations at the NCO Club
Clockwise from lower left: Horisce Young,
Al (Shakey) Boyd, Doc Kilpatrick,
James (Al) Alford, Jim Hoffman |
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