Heidel is stronger after walking through the valley of death
By MICHELLE BOSWORTH
Staff writer
Larry Heidel found himself praying, "Lord, give me courage. Although I walk through the valley of death, I fear no evil." At the time, he was simply a young Marine infantryman caught in the middle of a battle during the Vietnam conflict.
He and two buddies enlisted together in January 1967. It was a period in American history when the draft affected the choices of many young men. Not wanting to be forced into the Army, Larry and his buddies joined the Marines.
Larry admitted, "I was an 18-year-old greenhorn wanting to serve my country and find some adventure." He received much more than he expected.
The first few months in Vietnam, as well as the last, were especially deadly for soldiers. Larry remembered when he arrived, the other men didn't speak with him much. Later he understood why.
The seasoned soldiers didn't want to get close to the "greenhorns" who might not have survived the next few hours or days. Once an infantryman successfully made it past the first few months in Vietnam though, he was accepted.
On the other end of the spectrum, the last month of a soldier's stay in Vietnam also was especially dangerous. Often, a soldier let down his guard, or he wouldn't remain in-tune with what was going on around him. When he became distracted about going home, the danger was great, often ending in tragedy.
Marine leaders chose to have Larry fill the role of infantryman.
"I didn't mind it. I always enjoyed the outdoors," he said. Once he spotted a black panther racing through the jungle.
Later, when he became a scout for a Kit Carson team, he sometimes ate with villagers. Although he didn't know what he was dining on, he enjoyed the food and hospitality of the people.
While still an infantryman, Larry was wounded and spent two and one-half months in a hospital in Japan. When he returned to his unit in Vietnam, he didn't recognize anyone. He found out that during his hospital stay, they had been ambushed by the enemy and most of the men were either wounded or dead.
"I felt fortunate that I got wounded," said Larry in retrospect.
Nonetheless, he felt like a stranger among the men. His lieutenant realized this and asked if he wanted to work as an S-2 scout. Larry accepted the position and spent the rest of his time in Vietnam questioning captured North Vietnamese soldiers and gathering information from villagers.
"It was a chapter in my life I wouldn't have traded for anything. It was both adventurous and scary," said Larry. "I am a people person, and I learned to appreciate diversity, different cultures, and the values they have."
But, for these soldiers, the anticipation of returning home soured in their stomachs after landing on American soil.
Anti-war sentiments brewed and the men who fought in Vietnam faced criticism and conflict when they returned home. Another uphill battle faced each of them as they tried to return to mainstream of civilian life.
"When we came back from Vietnam, we felt like everyone was against us and the war," remembered Larry. "And we couldn't figure out why. We were just naïve 18-year-olds and we were just serving our country."
Knowing all too well what most people think about Vietnam veterans, Larry made a point of stressing, "Hate war, not the soldier."
Young people usually entertain lofty thoughts about country, duty, and courage.
Larry found when tested under the fire of war, those same words become saturated with meaning. Through his trials, he harvested new words and ideas that served him well in the years following Vietnam.
Today, he enthusiastically ticks off the ingredients of a veteran: 1. God. 2. Country. 3. Duty. 4. Courage. 5. Honor. and 6. (if you are a Marine) the Corps.
And Larry acknowledged, "You can't do anything without God's help."
