Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:37 | Barry McCaffrey talks about the adjustments he had to make in interacting with Vietnamese soldiers and the nuances that had to be learned.
Keywords : Vietnam Kontum Saigon vietnamese soldiers radio operator Chinese English French family camp village rice paddies
Barry McCaffrey grew up with plenty of military history in his family which led to his enrollment at West Point. While there, he enjoyed his time at the Academy and still stays in close touch with the guys he went to school with.
Barry McCaffrey remembers the intense training he went through before being deployed to the Dominican Republic and eventually Vietnam. They learned how to interact with the Vietnamese and it made them better off during wartime.
Barry McCaffrey remembers his two instances getting wounded. Fortunately for him, he had a strong support team that helped him get out to safety for his treatment.
Being a battalion commander, Barry McCaffrey had a lot of responsibility, especially when they faced a month straight of combat against the NVA. Thanks to their great air support, they won almost every firefight.
After his time in Vietnam, Barry McCaffrey spent some time teaching at West Point and enjoyed his time there. After working there, McCaffrey left to live in Europe to work at the headquarters of NATO and then moving back to D.C. to work at the Pentagon.
Barry McCaffrey remembers the days over in Iraq and Kuwait for Desert Storm. They were incredibly well-trained and when the time came to act, the 24th Infantry Division was ready.
Barry McCaffrey was in charge of rallying the different battalions right before Desert Storm started and he made sure to do it very decisively. Because they had so many months preceding the conflict, the plans were extensively mapped out so that the different units were all prepared.
Barry McCaffrey remembers being astonished at the low casualties sustained during Desert Storm and was thankful as soon as they started to take troops out. After his time there, he stepped into a position working for Colin Powell and eventually President Clinton working in the drug policy division.
After spending so much time in combat, Barry McCaffrey left with a very definitive outlook on the costs of global conflict. Although trust in the national government is low right now, McCaffrey maintains that a lot of government officials are good people who are just trying to do the right thing by their country. He holds Colin Powell to be the model for a good leader.
