This was a time when young men were being drafted into the army and dying at an alarming rate. The estimated life expectancy of a new lieutenant in the field was sixteen minutes. The worst years of the war were from 1968 to 1969. A total of 16,899 men died. It is easy to see why young men tried to stay out of the fighting, including me. In spite of that, I ended up very much in the fighting, earning two Bronze Star Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantry Badge and going from the lowest rank of private to captain in three years. Come along for the ride of a lifetime!