Interview with Robert Lynn Cox [8/15/2002]

Larry Ordner:

This recording was made on August 15, 2002 with Robert Lynn Cox. Mr. Cox resides at 319 Gibson Street in Oakland City, Indiana. While he was a native of Oakland City in Gibson County, he served in the United States Army in C Company, First through Fifth, First Calvary Division. He was an E5 from 4/9/1969 through 4/9/1971. He was drafted at age 20 and, of course, saw service in the Vietnam War. Winner of the Purple Heart, Air Medal, Bronze Star and two campaign ribbons. This tape is made with Larry Ordner, Regional Director for Senator Richard Lugar. Question: Bob, thank you so much for coming in and for being part of the Veteran's History Project.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Okay.

Larry Ordner:

It is an honor to have you here. Well, now tell me, you were a native of Gibson County and you were drafted at age 20. Where did you go to school at, first of all?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Oakland City. I went to elementary and high school, both in Oakland City.

Larry Ordner:

So after graduation, what--

Robert Lynn Cox:

I was employed at Whirlpool.

Larry Ordner:

In Evansville?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. The only bad thing about being drafted, at the time, I had just signed up for an electrical apprentice and I had scored second highest. I got drafted in April, and they come out with the cut list in March. And I went back and told them, I said, "Well, I ain't gonna make that." {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

So, my goodness. In 1969--I'm trying to think now--the war was still very much in gear, wasn't it--

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

--at that time?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. It was right before the big build up for--

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

--the invasion of Cambodia.

Larry Ordner:

Yes. Can I ask you what the reaction was at home ______?

Robert Lynn Cox:

My family--well, there was 11 of us in the family. Five brothers--or five boys and six girls. I was next to the bottom among the boys. So I was the fourth one that went into the service anyway. So, it wasn't really a shock to anybody.

Larry Ordner:

What year was this that some of your brothers went in?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Well, my oldest brother went in, in '54. My next oldest brother, he went in, in about '62 or '64. Then the brother one year above me, he went in, in '68. Then there was me. And then my youngest brother, he went into the Air Force but he had diabetes or something so he got shipped back.

Larry Ordner:

And I guess when you were drafted, it was--you were really pretty much--

Robert Lynn Cox:

I knew it was coming. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

Yes. And I guess there was probably not much doubt where you'd be going, either.

Robert Lynn Cox:

No.

Larry Ordner:

If you were going to be in the Army, then you were probably going to be going.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yep.

Larry Ordner:

Where did you go for induction?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Louisville, Kentucky.

Larry Ordner:

And from there?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Fort Knox.

Larry Ordner:

Oh, down the road at Fort Knox.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yep. Yep.

Larry Ordner:

Well, what was Basic like for you?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Basic?

Larry Ordner:

How rigorous was it?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Basic training to me? I belonged to the Boy Scouts shortly. Basic training wasn't that inspiring to me. It just was mental or physical stress. But when I got to AIT, I realized what I was in to. {Laughing} Basic training never bothered me.

Larry Ordner:

For the purpose of the tapes, say what AIT is.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Advanced Individual Training.

Larry Ordner:

And where was that at?

Robert Lynn Cox:

At Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Larry Ordner:

Can you tell me some--maybe some specifics about that? What were you zeroing in on for that kind of training?

Robert Lynn Cox:

It was infantry training. It's mostly compass reading or map reading, combat tactics and survival, such as that there.

Larry Ordner:

So that was certainly--

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

You knew what you were preparing for at that time?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

See, I assume that that training, AIT, was pretty intense?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

And it was down to business ____+?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. And at the time that I was down there, I couldn't of had any better training facility to be at to prepare you for the weather in Vietnam. Because I don't think it ever got as bad over there as what it did at Fort Polk. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

Really?

Robert Lynn Cox:

With the humidity and everything, I thought Indiana had the worst but Louisiana has got worse.

Larry Ordner:

Really, some of that area down there is almost like general conditions, isn't it?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. It was perfect training conditions.

Larry Ordner:

I have heard that from a lot of guys.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I was down there from June until August, and I don't think it gets any hotter than there. I thought Indiana was bad, but Louisiana has got them beat. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

My goodness. Well, when did you get word that you were going to be deployed?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Around September, I think, were the general orders. After we graduated from AIT, April--or August 15th. Then I was deployed overseas September the 11th--or 7th.

Larry Ordner:

Where did you leave from?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I left from Evansville and I went to--I can't remember the post out in California. It was a big deportation site. It was in San Diego. It wasn't Fort Ord. I can't think of the name of it right now.

Larry Ordner:

I can't. I know what you're talking about, but I can't think of the name of it either.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. Then from there I was shipped to Vietnam. I think it was either a 24 or a 28-hour flight. Then, of course, we made one or two stops to fuel and such as that. It was on a commercial aircraft. That really surprised me. And once we got there--

Larry Ordner:

What was your--I'm just curious now. When you landed in Vietnam, what is your first memory of Vietnam?

Robert Lynn Cox:

You wonder about that sort of thing, but I wondered what the peculiar odor was. {Laughing} And what it was, the water tables are so low. Well, it's from the commodes and stuff like that. They don't put them in a sanitary sewer. They burn them.

Larry Ordner:

Everybody, every Vietnam veteran I have talked to, has said the same thing. They usually say two things, the oppressive heat--

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yep.

Larry Ordner:

--and the odor, the stench.

Robert Lynn Cox:

You usually only find that around the military concerns. I don't know how the civilians done it, but that was definitely--I said, "Wow, that is really some rough smelling stuff."

Larry Ordner:

When you got there, roughly how far would you say you were for--how far were you from fighting activity at that time?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Oh--

Larry Ordner:

A guy had told me, he said they may be bombing at night and they could actually see flashes off in the distance.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Well, you could see the gun ships and stuff working the perimeters of--I think I went into an air base called__________, but you could see the gun ship, you know, at a distance working their many guns and stuff such as that. And, well, once we got to our reception station, then they had mortar attacks and such as that there for the three days that I was there. But none of them actually hit inside, but they sounded the alarm where you had to empty out the barracks.

Larry Ordner:

So you went to__________, like a holding station for awhile?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. Yes.

Larry Ordner:

And then you were going to be deployed out?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

But did you have any idea where your assignment was going to be?

Robert Lynn Cox:

No. Once there, well, then quite a few of the people I was in training with, we pretty well went all to about basically the same division, which was First Calvary.

Larry Ordner:

Oh, I was wondering. Were you going to be remaining together or were you replacing individuals?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Well, we were replacements. There is quite a few of them. We all--in fact, some how or another, I got a day ahead of everyone that I left training with. I guess there was an opening on the plane coming over. Then, once we got there, I think in my company there was probably 5 out of the 30 or 40 that was in my training platoon. But out of that 30 or 40, the rest of them, they was dispersed throughout the battalion brigade and such in the First Calvary. Because there was quite a few of us with the same division, which we made contact off and on throughout the year we were serving.

Larry Ordner:

How soon was it then that you actually got plugged into a situation?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I'd say within two weeks, I was getting off of a ______ in the field. In about two weeks.

Larry Ordner:

Oh, really?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yeah. Because they give you an indoctrination course. More or less rehash what you had in training. Part of that week or two weeks of reception. But within two weeks, you was assigned to your company and you was out in the boonies.

Larry Ordner:

Bob, is there any way that the training could have prepared you for what you saw over there?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I had good training. I will admit that. I had real good training.

Larry Ordner:

It was reality training, right?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. Now, I don't think I could have absorbed it as well if I was 25 or 30. But as a young kid, which I consider 20 years {laughing}, I picked up on a lot of stuff. Plus I had a lot of--in our community and the people we associated with, a lot of them was military career people and such. I had a pretty good idea what to expect. In fact, I went, me and my other brother, went before my oldest brother ever went. He was military or he was in the Air Force, a retiree. His last tour of duty before he got out, he went. There he had been in for almost 27 years then. He went at the end of his tour, and we went at the first of ours. {Laughing} But, yeah, as far as training, again, I'm always cussing Fort Polk, but I couldn't have ended up at a better place to be trained for war than I ended up at.

Larry Ordner:

Well, when you got to your initial assignment or whatever, how difficult was that? How soon, I guess, over there were you before you were really faced with combat situations?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Well--

Larry Ordner:

Were you in the thick of it right away?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. Especially in an infantry company and in the platoon. It took me 11 months to figure out that I could get killed over there. {Laughing} I mean, you know, you still have that invincible part, even that far along, even though I've seen a lot. I hadn't seen a lot of stuff up until that point. But, yeah, we were--the worst thing about the first ____, I thought I had actually gotten lucky because every hornet in my military progression there, I said, "It can't get any worse than this." Every place that you left from there to go further, it got worse. So I quit saying that. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

But the biggest thing that I noticed was, even though you was the new guy, a lot of the movies and stuff, the new weren't taken care of well. Well, in my personal opinion, I was taken--I mean, we considered among the guys, there was probably 21 or 22, they immediately showed you the ropes and such as that and this is how you survive over here, this is how you make a can--or even a B2 unit can, such as that.

Larry Ordner:

How did you survive after? I mean, it took a lot ingenuity.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

And there was probably, in some cases, there was probably just a lot of time on your hands.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. Well, again, in the unit that I was in, I thought I had lucked out by going there since we fly everywhere. Well, the only thing that by being in the First Calvary Division was that you stayed out longer because you had a supply route that was never ending. Every three days, they just brought you out more ammo, more food and more water. I think the longest we stayed out without actually coming in to what we called a bar base at the time was 56 days. We just constantly get up, move five clicks or six clicks, sit down, put out your ambushes and at night put out your OB's and stuff.

Larry Ordner:

So it was constantly?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. And I was a skinny guy then. And with that rucksack on, it was rough for a small guy like me. And it seemed like the smaller you were, the more they wanted you to carry, as far as platoon equipment. Then I just SOP, I believe. Because I seen it, everyone I had ever talked to, the small guy was always the machine gunner. {Laughing} I guess because they figured they couldn't--he couldn't fight back as much and the big guys never wanted to carry it.

Larry Ordner:

About how messy was it?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Well, a lot of the area that I served in was mostly Viet Cong or VC. I never--which was, in fact, we even got into a program once where we was training the indigenous people there. That was back when Nixon was talking about withdrawing more troops. And we was teaching these something that was a whole lot similar to our National Guard. We was teaching them how to do your tactical movements and stuff like that. Which it was a little bit spooky because you'd be out on patrols and stuff and hear some noise. And these clowns, they'd be shooting birds. That's tonight's dinner or something. {Laughing} Another spooky thing about it, it just so happened, this providence that we was training the troops in, it was what at that time was considered a pink belly. In other words, they was leaning more to the communist way of thinking or the North Vietnamese than they did the South Vietnamese.

Larry Ordner:

At the time you were in, let's see, Nixon was already president, wasn't he?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I think, yeah.

Larry Ordner:

Was there any change that you sensed, a change in direction at that time?

Robert Lynn Cox:

To me--

Larry Ordner:

Had the focus of the war shifted in any way?

Robert Lynn Cox:

It never appeared to me. Because a general is a general.

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I never got to see a whole lot of the rear. But there was a lot--I noticed a difference from the point of how I got there from the time I left. It had really, like, been wild. The airport there was a tin building, was open on all four sides. Whenever I come back to ship out of there, it was fully enclosed. It was a better airport than what they got in Evansville. Air conditioning, cushion seats and all. Whenever you first got there, you sat on the floor and such as that there. An old mountain lady. I can still visualize that. She is out there sweeping the floor with a bush branch. {Laughing} Then when I come back, they was still bumping a lot of money into it because they had really built that air base up. In fact, they even had a nice theater there. I remember going to that theater there before I come home. And they sure never had that there. Well, then they had the old eight millimeters that the companies had, you know, that they showed the flicks and such.

Larry Ordner:

What can you tell me, in terms of--I would really like to hear, in your own words, what these combat situations were like, what you experienced out there. Is there anything you can tell me?

Robert Lynn Cox:

From--mainly--because I can remember most of the fire fights I was ever in. I don't know what it is, but there is a dire need to drink water. {Laughing} You get thirsty. When someone is shooting at you, you get thirsty. I don't know what that is. But every time that I was ever in a fire-fight, it always seemed like that is when my canteen went dry quick. But you always get thirsty. And as I said a while ago, I never figured out until 11 months that you could get killed over there. The first time, I just got a slight wound.

Larry Ordner:

Now, what makes you say that? Do you think it was just youth indiscretion?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

Not fully understanding?

Robert Lynn Cox:

And ignorance to the facts, what all was going on. {Laughing} But we was on night ambush. And, well, after I got in the county, I worked with line companies for four months and then I went to sniper school. Well, it just so happened in the areas that we was in, there is not a whole lot of open areas. So, we usually set up along rivers and nice long pathways or roadways and such. Well, this one night, myself and two other snipers and three instructors went out with us. They wanted to go out just to see how we was operating. Because we was--we was no longer under company patrol. We was under patrol from the battalion commander. It just so happened that I was on watch for specific back to back, just in a small circle, for the claim wars out. And then I still had the bad habit of smoking. {Laughing} Well, the way you smoke over there, you throw a poncho over you, you light it up and then you covered up. Now, we had night vision devices. You can sit. Just plan to stay up the night. But they never had such--or I don't think they did. I just--I was sitting up puffing on my cigarette. And it was just a slight drizzle. I said, "What is that?" And they was probably, what it was, it was OP recon coming to find--which we later determined, they had already been to the fire base and they had every position marked, everything. It just looked like a bunch of evergreens waving in the wind a little bit. I think they have evergreens there. Then I picked up my starlight and looked. And about that time, the guy behind me, well, he had turned around and I elbowed him. And he looked through his, and he never warned or nothing. And his mussel was right there in my ear. {Laughing} And I shot straight up in the air. Because I was having a hard time determining what it was, even though they was that close. That starlight gets real blurry up close. Now, out at range, it is clear. But whenever I would finally hit the ground, I think I jumped high enough I slipped my second clip in, in my riffle. And we took the silver plugs out of them XM 21's. So, we fired both action. They was more accurate. I still think I slipped my second clip in whenever I hit the ground. I don't know how high I went. I just, immediately after that, they started tossing grenades in on us. And, like I said, we never dug in or nothing because we had to move fast and move light. And they starting tossing in grenades. And, again, ________ said, "oh, boy." Because I was getting shore time blues anyway. I think there was one that landed, oh, about from here to that copying machine. And what really saved--well, that's the closest one that got to all of us. It was, we was on a hillside, but the ground was real soft from the constant rain and it all went down.

Larry Ordner:

Did you sometimes feel like, well, I cheated it again today?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

You have made it through another day.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I loved to see the sun come up. The sun going down, that's when it got spooky for me, at nighttime. Because night reserves and--well, in a certain way of looking at it, that's when they done most of their attacks and stuff. They tried to make all their moves at night.

Larry Ordner:

Was there always that element of surprise?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. Again, well, I think--well, maybe three times that I actually got caught in an ambush.

Larry Ordner:

Really.

Robert Lynn Cox:

And, well, the one time was just like brightness. But a few times I came out, nothing. I mean, they opened up big time on us.

Larry Ordner:

Is that what resulted in--

Robert Lynn Cox:

Well before that. The hand grenade, the last one, they blasted us pretty good. Got it in the face. Well, I couldn't pull my helmet down over. But then when we got back to the fire base, with the doc at the medical station, he wanted to, he said, "Now, I can operate and get the rest of that out." Because I got it pretty well here and on my left side. I said, "Well, nothing against you, Doc, but I've seen the way you guys operate and I'm ugly enough." {Laughing} "I don't need you cutting on my face." And he just gave me some Darvon and stuff like that for the pain. And, well, over the years, every once in awhile when I'm shaving, I'll still, you know, some of that stuff is still working out. The only thing I've seen, as far as any problems from my wounds, was I have noticed my sense of smell is totally gone. Because a lot of it went through my nasal--not nasal passages but through my nose and such as here. That is about the only thing I have seen along permanent that is really hurting, as far as just the physical wounds. But after that night, I said you can go and get killed over here. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

Can I ask you, Bob, how was it? How did you guys stay motivated? How did you keep your morale? How did you not go crazy?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I think the biggest thing, again, is I had some fine leadership.

Robert Lynn Cox:

lot of people commend the leadership in Vietnam. I had outstanding lieutenants, captains, although I have never associated with anything much higher than that. Your platoon sergeant and your squad leaders, excellent. I attribute to them the reason why I am sitting here talking to you. Because they told me what I needed to know and cut out all the bullshit, I guess is the way you could put it.

Larry Ordner:

I have heard lots and lots of comments. And I know Vietnam was one of those wars where there was lots of opinions about what should have been done or what could have been done and the way things were. I've heard numerous comments about the war being managed too often from Washington.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Well, that was definitely true. You could see that. Because you'd go down one area before I went to sniper school. I think I was getting them over trees there. We would go in there and would flush a few of them out. Then we'd leave the area and come back in another week and we'd be doing the same thing. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

I've heard that over and over and over. That you were constantly recapturing the same areas.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I guess the reason why they was moving us around that way, they never knew where we was ever at. But I never seen no end to it. I said, "Well, as soon as we get it all cleared out, we're going to be back here next week anyway."

Larry Ordner:

Well, so it wasn't discontinuing? It was penetration?

Robert Lynn Cox:

That's right. There was no frontal lines to let you know. In fact, I felt more safe in a power base than I did in what we called the rear-rear, like in the really built up areas like in the division rears and such as that. Because they, all they were, were panels. Now, a fire base, all there was, was a place in the middle of the jungle with berm shoved up and permanent bunkers put around it and a little bit of concertina, but you never had all the noise and all the lights and everything. I liked it dark. I liked to be on the same plateau they were. And I felt uncomfortable being in lighted places for a long time. You know, at nighttime, whenever you are supposed to be laid back, I liked to say, "Well, if he is going to come and get me, you've gotta find me the same as I gotta find you." {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

So, I guess, in a way, I know your laughter can help you.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

Was laughter just kind of a way of--

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yep. But the way I look at my total war experience, it's an experience I'm glad I've got but I don't want to repeat it and I would hate to see anyone else have to repeat it.

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Of course, I learned a lot about life. Even though I never knew it at the time, I learned a lot about life and a lot about individuals. I learned how to read people. You could--you could--I might be reading them wrong, but it has never failed me.

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I think the terms we used to you is "blowing smoke." {Laughing} In other words, the guys were out and, uh-huh. {Laughing} But back to those, that's--I think that's some of the things that stick in my crawl over the Vietnam experiences, is the way they talked about some of the leadership. Well, I ain't gonna say what the president, congress and all that was doing. But as far as the people on the ground where I was at, I wasn't serving with many more than that, but I couldn't have asked for better.

Larry Ordner:

Yes. I had a guy a few days ago, he just brought up the name Westmorland and spoke very highly of him and felt that Westmorland was ham-stringed.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. I firmly believe that. Clearly, the slap in the face, as far as, again, speaking for just this Vietnam vet, was when Carter gave amnesty to draft dodgers. That--that hurt. Now, I have never had any animosity towards any of them. If that was their true convictions, more power to them. But if it's just us, they never wanted to go and let their buddy go, that's the upsetting part. I think before he gave them amnesty, they should explain this is the reason I went to Canada or wherever. That's the only part that I found hard to swallow. I said that at least explain why you left. {Laughing} There might have been a good reason.

Larry Ordner:

Right. Bob, how did you finally get word you were going to get to come home?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Usually, in the line units, because even though I was assigned to the battalion, I worked with the line units--

Larry Ordner:

Because you were almost two years to the day, weren't you?

Robert Lynn Cox:

No. It was just one year.

Larry Ordner:

Oh, I'm sorry.

Robert Lynn Cox:

That--I gave you what my dates served were.

Larry Ordner:

Oh, okay. In Vietnam.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

Okay.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. Yes. The year was right in the middle. Let's see. I was working with recon with two men. And, normally, the way the procedure used to work, it was about three weeks to a month before you get close to coming home. Well, then you go back and you shuffle stuff around the rear, you know, a cushy job. Well, I'd been where I was at. And then we just got through with our Cambodia experience. That's when we legally got to go over there for two months. Well, a lot of the line companies were really way down in count and everything. So, we was on an ambush that day along the river with recon platoon and the battalion commander come out. He wanted to talk to the platoon leader, which was in charge of the recon platoon. I checked my short pine gunner. And I said, "I've only got seven days left." And I seen the sergeant major setting on the recon bird with him. I turned and said, "Major," I said, "Could I catch a ride in?" I said, "I think I'm short enough." He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "I got seven days before I got to get out of the country." I said, "It's going to take longer than that to process me." He said, "Well, get you ass on this bird." {Laughing} I should have been gone a long time ago. Because it usually took you about 10 days to process out of the country.

Larry Ordner:

So you went away, as quickly as you went in, you quickly went out, didn't you?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yep. Turn the switch on and turn it off.

Larry Ordner:

Was there a sense of relief?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. {Laughing}.

Larry Ordner:

Would you go back?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I would love to go back. But whenever, especially once I processed out and got on that airplane--and I'm not that devoutly religious, but I made a promise that if the Lord gets me out of this country I will never come back. I would love to go back now, but I'm afraid he might take me up on that promise. {Laughing} I'd like to go see how its changed.

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

But, like I say, when that baby lifted off that tarmac, whew, it was nice.

Larry Ordner:

Did you guys have a clear understanding of what you were doing?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Nope. It was cover your buddy's rear and he'll cover yours and we will make it through this day. That was basically the way I made it through. I don't know if that's the way everyone was. But you was in your own little click, your squad was, and your platoon was and everyone took care of everybody.

Larry Ordner:

Did you have a sense of the big picture?

Robert Lynn Cox:

No. All I knew is--and, to me, even no more education than I had at the time even, that poor old dirt farmer out there, he could give a damn less if we was the United States or if democracy is in that country or communism, he was still gonna be out there hauling weeds out of that garden. And as long as whoever was in charge left him enough for him and his family to survive on, he was happy. But I believe the communist took a little bit more than what the other side did. {Laughing} But I knew what the gist of the whole thing was. Like the domino effect and all out there. But, to me, the people in that country, in fact, I felt that, my personal opinion again, I think we was on the wrong side. I think the leadership, as far as on the South Vietnamese, was that they was a bunch of gangsters, is all they were. I think the leadership on the North, they actually had a clear picture. Even though I think they are wrong in their beliefs, they was actually gonna help the common person, where I believe the leadership from Key and all them people like that, all they was thinking was bucks. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

So, after you left Vietnam, you still had a few months in the military?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

So, you came back to the states?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

Where were you stationed?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I had orders.

Larry Ordner:

Did you have a nice leave before you--

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. I think I was off 16 days. I had orders to go to Panama. And I had been in the military long enough where you can't go to an overseas assignment if you got less then 180 days left. Well, after my leave was over, I had less. And what I was afraid of, I would get hung out there in South Carolina before and get what they call holdover status. In other words, no one owes you, you don't get paid, you don't get fed or nothing. I said, I ain't spending my last time. And so I called my congressman at the time, who was Hartke. I think his---

Larry Ordner:

The US Senator then was Hartke?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. And the next day, the Pentagon called me and asked me where I wanted to go.

Larry Ordner:

Roger Zein (ph) probably was congressman?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. I said congressman. I meant Senator Harke, yes. And I'd called the senator. And the next day, the Pentagon asked me, called me at the house, and asked me where I wanted to go. I said, "Well, as long as it ain't Panama, I don't care." He says, "Well, there's Fort Knox, Fort Campbell and Fort Harrison, Fort Van Harrison." I said, "Where in the hell is Fort Van Harrison?" He said, "That's in Indianapolis." And I said, "I'll take it." I said, "That's a 30-minute shorter drive yet." And I had family that lived up there. Whew.

Larry Ordner:

That was like your home, wasn't it?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Well, even the military tact and stuff up there, I just couldn't believe this is the Army. It was a finance center, is what it is. And I just couldn't get over. I was put in charge of the headquarters building. I had details and stuff come in, and I had to get them ready to leave and stuff like that. And I've got a winner because it changed my whole attitude towards the military.

Larry Ordner:

I don't blame you.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I said, "This ain't bad." I said, "There is actually something other than being grungy all the time." And the discipline wasn't there that you see in infantry units. But, I said, "Well, now, the military really ain't that bad." But the camaraderie and stuff, you could see that, at that level even, it wasn't the same as what it was in the line companies.

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Because--

Larry Ordner:

When you finally got out, was it difficult at all in becoming a civilian again?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I never wanted to get out. My wife did. I like the military. I liked it.

Larry Ordner:

So, you would have re-enlisted?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

Did you think about a career?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. Well, what I done, after about four or five months, I went into the National Guards and stayed there for 22 years.

Larry Ordner:

Really. Wow.

Robert Lynn Cox:

But I liked it. She didn't. I like to play hard and work hard. Well, I like a lot more of the playing hard. But, to me, it seemed like, especially the way I have done things, every day was exciting. Well, I've got a fine job right now and I've had good jobs. But nothing has compared to what the military was.

Larry Ordner:

So, your time in the Guards was how many years total?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Twenty-three.

Larry Ordner:

Twenty-three years in the National Guard?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

Were you deployed at any time?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I came close two or three times. Never had to go.

Larry Ordner:

Never went, huh?

Robert Lynn Cox:

See, because we went in, in '72, me and Joel, my brother-in-law. I talked him into going in with me. And the first thing we got gigged, he said, "What are you guys in signing up for?" They said, "We're here so we don't have to go." Which I don't care how you serve, as along as if you was eligible, you should have went. But they was wanting to know what we was--what kind of dumb asses we were for signing up. {Laughing} But it was fun.

Larry Ordner:

When you were out of the service, did you use your GI benefits?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. I used it on the correspondence course related to what I do now. I am a mechanic into locomotives and such as that. But back then, I just took it to get a little bit further along. I had my own business, you know, working on the side. I used it. And, in fact, now, I've got great benefits at work. By being a Purple Heart holder, I can get my prescription drugs for $7 a prescription, which is better than my insurance would be. I have to pay $20 through my insurance. So, I actually, I go through the VA to get my prescriptions for high blood pressure.

Larry Ordner:

Do you use the VA clinic in Evansville?

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes. I have heard all kinds of war stories about that, too. I've never been treated any more professional or kinder by people in the hospital professions or medical professions than I have ever been.

Larry Ordner:

Is that right?

Robert Lynn Cox:

I've been to a lot of hospitals, visiting or as a patient. No problems whatsoever. In fact, I have used them more and more. I still keep my primary care doctor. I go down there for my prescriptions, blood work and all. It saves my insurance company a lot of money. {Laughing}

Larry Ordner:

Well, Bob, any final thoughts on your time in the military, looking back these years later? What, I guess, what would you want to tell someone 50 years from now about your time in Vietnam? What would you want people to remember and not to ever forget?

Robert Lynn Cox:

The best way to round it up, it's an experience I'm glad I got but I would hate to repeat it. {Laughing} You got me now. That's about the best I could put it.

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

There's no specific thing or anything that I can really bring up. But it's--in fact, it's changed my attitude. Again, well, like I say, I have changed my attitude towards the military. I wish today we even had something. Because even though I come from a large family with just my mother, because my father passed away at a very young age, he had taught me so many things about how to get through the world. I thought I really had it rough until I got there. And it really opened your eyes. Again, as far as furthering my education and stuff, it was the greatest thing for my mind. But after I got out, I said, "I gotta make things better." {Laughing} I said, "I've seen the worst. Now I want to see some of the better parts." And it gives you a little bit more incentive to try. I know a lot of fellow brother veterans and stuff, they got hooked up on drugs and alcohol, which I believe the government failed them a little bit by just, like you say, we turn the switch on and turn it off. Some people can cope with it and some couldn't. I realize I was one of the lucky ones. Maybe it will hit me one of these days. I don't know. But, well, the biggest thing, since I mentioned that, it was, again, in the area that I was in, they think the Vietnam Veterans are ______ and stuff. Not all of us are.

Larry Ordner:

Or very bitter--

Robert Lynn Cox:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

--now.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I don't hold--I don't hate anybody over it.

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I'm thankful I made it through it, and it's an experience. But, now, that is one of the things that they can dim all of us, just like anything else. Yeah, there were drugs and stuff like that over there. But you never seen that at my level. Because, for one thing, you never had to worry about the top or the first sergeant or the captain getting on you. You get caught smoking dope in the field, you're gonna get butt struck. {Laughing} Because you're the guy that's supposed to be watching that way. Now, back in the rear and stuff, it might have been a problem. I don't like being herded into a group. Just, "You all were like this." I said, "No, we weren't." And most of the people that I knew never done that.

Larry Ordner:

Well, thank you so much for coming in and doing this.

Robert Lynn Cox:

If it can help anyone out as far as what they want to do, then I would do more.

Larry Ordner:

I know.

Robert Lynn Cox:

I enjoy listening to the World War II stuff. Just like we was talking there at the beginning, it just--again, this guy I was telling you about where to get contact, he's got a better memory than what I've got. Because this happened to him quite a few years. But he can tell you. That's something I'm real bad on, is names and places. But I could sit there and I know some of them stories I've heard 10 or 15 times. Because a lot of people, they get tired of hearing this stuff. But I don't. I said, "How did you do that?" {Laughing} Like, for instance, one of the guys I have talked to before, I don't know what it is, Veterans, you got to get into a certain mode before you actually turn loose. But this story that this gentleman told me, he was here the other day, I know he was fighting the Jap's. Well, he got shot off a rope that was hanging off a cliff shooting the gas back into these tunnels. Well, he got shot off the rope. He got up to move, and then he got shot again and he crawled almost two miles on his elbows. Because, you know, it nearly severed his spine. But he never had no feeling from the middle of the back down. I said, I don't know if I could have been that tough. And just--it just amazes me what the human body can go through and still survive.

Larry Ordner:

Yes.

Robert Lynn Cox:

And, again, when he come out, he said that he thought he was a badass. After all that, he ended up being a school teacher and superintendent and such as that there.

Larry Ordner:

Yes. Of all the places to go.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Same here.

Larry Ordner:

I know Senator Lugar. You will be hearing from him, too.

Robert Lynn Cox:

Okay.

Larry Ordner:

So, thank you.

Robert Lynn Cox:

You can tell him personally, I'm glad he's taking the time to talk today. {Laughing}.

Larry Ordner:

I'll pass that along.

Robert Lynn Cox:

There's a lot of times--I don't need the help, but I know a lot of guys out there that do.

[Conclusion of interview Interview]