Catalog Number: VIS 201.0764
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In this interview Van Thornhill shares his experiences serving in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He remembers being drafted, family reactions to him being drafted, and living frugally before basic training. He recalls his orders to become a Huey Cobra helicopter crew chief. He describes flying into the Philippines amid a typhoon, the conditions of the camp in Vietnam, and being assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade with the codename “Outcast” or “Black Cats.” Thornhill recounts his duties including helicopter maintenance, door gunner, and pilot training. He discusses coming home, feeling different after the war, and his strategies for dealing with PTSD. He also talks about his postwar life including his marriage, children, and attending college.