Florencio Aguayo thought he was leaving the horrors of struggle behind him when he left Vietnam greater than 55 years in the past. Little did he know the struggle wouldn’t go away him.
March 29 is Vietnam Veterans Day, designated for individuals who served in the course of the lengthy, bloody marketing campaign that price the nation greater than 58,000 troopers. But for Aguayo, who suffers from post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD), loss of life and destruction from Vietnam is a every day reminder.
Aguayo, 75, was drafted into the Army, serving from 1968 to 1970.
“I was drafted, and I couldn’t have been happier in my life,” Aguayo instructed Military.com. “Because I didn’t know what I was going to do in life or what was going to happen. I thought, You know, this is a good thing.”
After ending primary coaching at Fort Ord, California, and superior infantry coaching, Aguayo acquired his MOS: 11 Bravo, fight infantry.
Sitting in his residence in Big Sur Valley, California, Aguayo displays on his time with the twenty fifth Infantry Division’s twenty seventh Regiment, higher referred to as the “Wolfhounds,” a robust, gritty unit that seldom wilted within the face of hazard. He served in each A Company and C Company and his unit nonetheless comes collectively for annual reunions.
“I don’t know if it was because we were pretty brave or very aggressive toward the enemy, but, yes, we had a reputation,” Aguayo mentioned. “But at the time, I didn’t know that I was going in there and would see some of the things I did. It was really interesting.”
As an infantryman, Aguayo was no stranger to frequent firefights with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, typically partaking with the enemy 3 times a week. He recollects a lot of situations when he was fortunate to flee along with his life.
“The first thing that came into my mind was, ‘Lord, get me through this night, and I’ll be yours in the morning,’” Aguayo mentioned. “I prayed to him many, many, many times.”
Injury and Loss
On Sept. 18, 1968, Aguayo’s unit, on patrol close to Fire Support Base Mahone, ventured into unruly territory nicknamed the “Hobo Woods.” It was suffering from booby traps. Enemy forces attacked, and a firefight ensued, killing 4 troopers and wounding 4 others.
“That night was very, very scary,” Aguayo recalled. “You gotta be scared, or you’re crazy. Otherwise, you just push forward. I tried picking up one of my buddies, but it was useless … he was gone. It got to the point where we were missing a man, and we couldn’t find him. We had to go back to find him. And we found him. It was just the idea of carrying him back … it was very intense.
I think that’s one of the hardest things, having to take your buddy’s body back to the chopper. Those are the memories that are very tough.”
Aguayo served in Vietnam for 10 months till he was wounded on Dec. 28, 1968. Two days earlier, he had attended a particular USO Christmas present that includes legendary comic Bob Hope. It was one of his fondest reminiscences from Vietnam. But the great occasions would quickly finish when Aguayo’s unit was assigned to a number of scorching touchdown zones (LZ’s) and was left to fend by itself when their helicopter ditched them to refuel.
“What are we gonna do now? We were told to return to base camp, but when we returned to base camp, we were hit with rocket fire,” Aguayo mentioned. “We ran for cover. One of the rockets exploded behind me and got shrapnel on my left leg, on the back of my butt, and a few in my back. When I was running for the bunker, the other rocket exploded in front of me, and I could see the shrapnel coming towards me like a black line flying towards my chest. Bang.”
To today, Aguayo nonetheless has shrapnel lodged within the again of his legs, and a number of fragments in his chest.
“During the winter, it feels like it’s stabbing me, and when the summer comes along, it feels like it’s trying to come out of me,” he mentioned. “It’s weird.”
Struggling After War
After the army, bodily and psychological accidents took a toll, zapping Aguayo of empathy and emotion. He shut off the skin world, turning into remoted and distant.
“You close your heart. You don’t touch your heart after that. And it feels like there’s a dark cloud over your heart,” Aguayo mentioned. “You don’t have pity for anything. You don’t care what happens.”
Despite dwelling a productive life, constructing a 30-year profession with General Motors, Aguayo couldn’t shake the haunting pictures of Vietnam.
“I had a lot of trouble going through PTSD,” he mentioned. “The doctors kept saying that nothing was wrong with me.”
Aguayo struggled with psychological well being points for many years till lastly receiving assist by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2003. Through group remedy, he was capable of join with different Vietnam veterans who understood the PTSD combat. He nonetheless attends periods each Thursday, bonding along with his fellow brothers and sisters in arms.
“The only person who can understand is another vet. You do need help to get through it,” Aguayo mentioned. “That really helped me because things were getting pretty rough. I was planning on taking my rifle to the garage, and I wasn’t planning on cleaning it. But I was able to make it through.”
Semper Fi & America’s Fund Lends a Hand
As a disabled veteran, Aguayo didn’t fairly really feel secure in his residence within the rural California desert. But by the Semper Fi & America’s Fund and the LCpl Parsons Welcome Home Fund, the Vietnam veteran acquired free modifications and enhancements to his residence, offering the safety he wanted for peace of thoughts.
“They’ve been very helpful to me. They took care of my front door because one of my neighbors was robbed. They said, ‘Oh, sure, we’ll do that.’ My patio was falling apart, and they helped me replace that too, along with my compressor for my air conditioning,” Aguayo mentioned. “They’ve been fantastic.”
The Semper Fi & America’s Fund has helped greater than 2,700 Vietnam War veterans, filling gaps in sources the VA and different organizations can’t present. The basis works particularly with Vietnam veterans, offering the help they want, particularly as they age.
“There are a few more things that I could use help with, like replacing my water heater, because it’s about to go,” Aguayo mentioned. “But man, Semper Fi & America’s Fund is so great, you just have to look and find them. Otherwise, I don’t know what else I would have done because I couldn’t afford to make these improvements to my home.”
