From Combat to Communication: An Unexpected Journey from Vietnam to Speech Therapy
Answering the Call: Three Friends Join the Military
Shortly after graduating from Immaculate High School, two of my classmates and I signed up to join the military. My friend Bob joined the Marines, Greg entered ROTC and volunteered for the draft. In 1967, the war in Vietnam was raging. At the time, we believed that if South Vietnam fell to communist North Vietnam, surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect. Looking back, none of that unfolded quite as we feared, but you had to live in that moment to understand the mindset. We enlisted knowing the risks, driven by a sense of duty to protect South Vietnam from a communist dictatorship.
From Fort Knox to Tigerland: The Road to War
After being inducted in August of 1967, I was sent to Fort Knox for basic training. Eight weeks later, I found myself at Tigerland in Louisiana for advanced infantry training. Soon after, I was bound for war.
First Days in Vietnam: From Landing to Combat
Tet erupted in January of 1968, and I was on a commercial flight to Vietnam. At each stop – Hawaii, Philippines – more soldiers disappeared, until I joked it would soon be just me and the pilot. We landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base under darkness, and within hours faced our first rocket attack. In the bunker, someone called out for Jones. When no one answered, a voice laughed, “Did anyone wake him up?” By morning, I was headed to my unit – the 101st Airborne at Fire Base LZ Sally, twenty miles north of Hue. On the final leg along Route 1, what I thought were bees turned out to be my first encounter with sniper fire. The most striking thing? The grass was green, just like in Jersey – a strange slice of normalcy in a very abnormal world.
Echo Company: Under Siege
I was initially assigned to Echo Company Mortars. In April, our unit found itself under siege, surrounded by North Vietnamese forces. We fired so many mortar rounds that the base plates overheated, rendering the mortars useless. Our survival depended on relentless airstrikes, artillery, and naval bombardments from the USS New Jersey. At times I didn’t know if we’d make it out – and I’ll always remember the moment I saw the choppers that came to get us out.
A Letter from Home: Losing a Friend
The news hit me like a ton of bricks – I was devastated – Bob was a joy to know – and I could only imagine how his friends and family were reacting back home.
The Journey Home: That Final Day
Like every soldier in Vietnam, I had been counting down the days until I could go home. The fact that 1968 was a leap year meant one extra day – 366 instead of 365. That last day felt longer than any other. When I finally landed in San Francisco, my first thought was to call home. Back then, phone calls worked differently – there were real operators who connected your calls, actual people who understood the importance of these moments. When I got through to the operator and told her I was a soldier just back from Vietnam trying to reach my mother, she didn’t hesitate. She tracked down my mom’s line and interrupted her ongoing conversation, saying there was an urgent call. It had been weeks since my mother had heard from me by letter and now a year since we last spoke. It was a conversation defined by relief and joy.
From Combat to Campus: Beginning at Fordham
After a short three-month tour at Fort Benning, I got an early out to attend Fordham University on 59th street in NYC, commuting from my parents’ home in Cedar Grove. I was so excited to attend my first class – in June of 1969. It was a course on the English romantic poets and I just remember sitting in the front row with pen in hand thinking how lucky I was to be there.
Echoes of War: The Lincoln Tunnel Incident
One late afternoon while returning home from Fordham through the Lincoln Tunnel, there was a loud backfire. The passengers on the bus were surprised to see me on the floor of the aisle. It wasn’t a rocket or a mortar, but that moment made me realize the war would always be a part of me.
From Academia to Corporate: The Prudential Years
I continued to study and work hard, graduating from Fordham in three and a half years with dual majors in English, Philosophy and a minor in Education with a K-12 teaching certificate. In January of ’73, I graduated cum laude. Through my father, who was a senior analyst, I had the opportunity to attend the computer class at the Prudential Insurance Company in Newark, NJ. At the time, it was considered one of the best computer classes in the country. I worked extremely hard to complete the course, and my days in Vietnam gave me the work ethic to complete a grueling course.
After graduating, I was assigned to the new Computer office in Roseland, NJ, where I helped write software for a computer project that enabled field agents to sign up clients for insurance policies via computer.
Philosophy and Purpose: The Graduate Years
While the Prudential was a wonderful place to work, with great benefits and facilities, memories of the war were still with me. I was trying to understand the world in which I lived. Drawing on my Fordham roots, I enrolled in a graduate philosophy program at Fordham’s Bronx Hill Campus, studying philosophy in contemporary terms while commuting there 1-2 days a week after work.
A Sister’s Suggestion: The Path to Special Education
In 1977 my sister told me about a picnic she’d attended in northern Jersey for special education workers from Paterson. She commented on how happy the people seemed to be and mentioned they were looking for volunteers. She gave me a number to call.
So I gave them a call and soon began volunteering one day a week in a work program for people with physical and mental disabilities in downtown Paterson. A short time later I resigned from the Prudential to go work for the Department of Special Education – my path had taken a turn.
Murray House and Wayne House: Pioneering Group Homes
The department ran The Murray House, the first group home in New Jersey. When they opened their second home, the Wayne House, I began living there. In exchange for attending to residents one evening a week and one weekend day every other week, I received free room and board. It was during this time that I met Mary, the love of my life, whom I married in November 1979.
Full Circle: The Journey to Speech Therapy
At the Department, I worked in development, helping to establish group homes in New Jersey communities. As I was finishing my philosophy degree, my sister suggested I look into speech therapy. After attending a sign language course to help improve the communication skills for people with severe disabilities in NYC, I realized how I could combine my interest in how the mind works (epistemology) from my days studying philosophy as a bridge to helping others through speech therapy. I applied to the Montclair State College graduate communication and science program, got accepted and I was now on a path to becoming a speech therapist.