Veterans Month
November 2003
NS Veterans Remember
William Dobbins
Special agent
NS Police
Croxton, N.J.
I joined the U.S. Army in the summer of 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War. After training as a heavy equipment operator (construction equipment), I was sent to the 809th Engineer Battalion in Thailand to finish a road they were building from an Army base to an Air Force Base.
My job was operating an earth scraper. This is a machine that is dragged across the earth and fills up a bucket with dirt. You then drive to the area where the road is being built and dump the load. I also learned how to operate a road grader, a bulldozer and various kinds of heavy dump trucks. My unit finished the road in five months. Since my tour was for one year, I was given the choice of four places to finish my tour - Korea, Hawaii, Okinawa or Vietnam.
I had to choose two. Korea was too cold. Okinawa had too many Marines and too many mosquitoes. Hawaii was too expensive on a private's pay, and Vietnam was a war zone. I picked Hawaii and Vietnam.
After arriving in Vietnam, I was assigned to the 36th Engineer Battalion at Vien Long airfield. I was assigned to a fuel truck delivery route on and off the base. After being there for two weeks, I experienced my first Viet Cong mortar attack on the base.
Sixteen mortars came into the base at 01:00 hours. I was sleeping when the attack began. As it continued, I counted every mortar as it made its target. We lost a few helicopters and several buildings, plus a few good men. At age 18, this was the most terrifying experience I have ever been involved in. I still dream about it to this day 34 years later.
Another mortar attack several months later resulted in the base ammunition dump being blown up. The concussion and explosion from this attack destroyed a lot of property and lives. After finishing this tour, I was sent back to the U.S.
Several weeks later they were looking for volunteers for Vietnam, so I returned and was assigned to the 554th Dump Truck Company. I was still building roads and drove a 5-ton dump truck for the year I was there. Promotions came fast in a combat zone. When I finished my tour in Feb 1972 my rank was Specialist E-5.
Upon returning home, I remained in the Army Reserve and later transferred to the N.J. National Guard. At that time, I changed my Army job from heavy equipment operator to military police officer, since I was employed as a police officer with the Hopatcong, N.J., Police Department.
After 12 years of military service, I resigned due to work and family obligations. To this day, I am active in veterans' organizations.
Military service has made me a better person and has given me lots of experiences that I would not have had. I grew up fast, and would do it all over again if I had to. My son, James, recently joined the Army Reserves. I hope his experiences will be as good as mine were.