Nam 67-68

Many years ago, in a land far, far away... sounds like a great opening line for a fairy tale, but Vietnam was no fairy tale, three clicks of your heels didn't get you and Toto home before your DEROS, and the only happy ending was if you made it home alive. Over 60,000 people were KIA or POW/MIA, and thousands still carry the scars of battles fought in a little country halfway around the world. Every GI has his own version of Vietnam. This is my story, my Vietnam, and it is different from those who came before me, different from those who were there with me, and different than those who came after me. It was that kind of war, crazy, frenzied, mutating, but the bottom line is that it was a war, and death had a field day.

I was/am/will be Sgt. Ken Melkun, United States Air Force. My MOS was J42152, aircraft pneudraulic repairman. In regular English that means I worked on the high pressure hydraulic and pneumatic systems of military aircraft. The J in my MOS means I specialized in servicing the F-4 Phantom II, the hottest fighter the Air Force had at that time. I went to Vietnam in October of 1967 and came home in October of 1968. Most of my tour was served at Tan Son Nhut AFB, near Saigon, RVN. By the luck of the draw I was there for the 68 TET offensive, and had the unique experience of people I didn't even know trying for several months to kill me. Here are some pictures and thoughts about my war. Most of the pictures are not mine, I found them on the web. If they belong to someone you know just tell me and I will give them credit. If they are Nam Vets I'm sure they won't mind sharing. Read some of my other pages to get a more complete picture of of my experience. Peace, Ken Melkun