SALUTE TO VETERANS 2025: Vietnam veteran Glenn Green reflects on service, family, and a life well-lived

STODDARD COUNTY — Glenn Green is a husband, father, grandfather and veteran of the United States Army.

Green was raised in Bloomfield and graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1968.

He married his wife Clara in 1969 and in June of 1970 was drafted into the United States Army.

Green reported to Fort Leonard Wood for basic training, and was then sent to Fort Ord in California before being sent to Vietnam.

Green recounted some of his experiences while serving in Vietnam. He said they would be brought in by helicopter. However, if the helicopter could not land, it would hover over the ground. At this point, Green and other servicemen would jump out with their rucksacks.

The servicemen carried their supplies in the rucksacks while on the ground. Green said the rucksacks weighed 70-80 pounds. Green also carried a radio which weighed 20 pounds and two batteries which weighed about one pound each.

He was stationed at the Rakason Fire Base. He was a member of the 101st Airborne. Green said for the most part, he was not at the base but out in the field. He said most nights he and the servicemen he was in the field with slept on the ground. Green explained that they would make a shelter out of rain ponchos.

A tree branch would prop up the middle and the floor was made out of the ponchos as well. Green stated their boots never came off in the field. Including while the men slept. He said they had a three-hour watch each night. Most nights, they went to bed wet from rain or whatever they may have had to walk through.

The longest Green said in spent away from the base was 101 days, wearing the same clothes the whole time.

Green said helicopters would drop supplies every three to four days. However, this time they were only resupplied with water a couple times. The rest of the time they refilled their water out of rivers. Everything around the rivers was dead due to being sprayed with Agent Orange. Green said the drank the water anyway because they did not know any different. He said each man carried six quarts of water.

The men were required to walk down a road near the base daily to check for mines or other dangers. The walk was eight or nine miles down hill. The men were then driven back up the hill.

Green recounted a couple specific patrols with his platoon.

During the first patrol he spoke of, he and some other men were instructed to go down to a river and get water for the men. Green said he and about six others went to fill the water containers. On the way back to the platoon, they discovered a mortar with a line going to it.

Green said they were told there would not be any reason to worry about traps, so the discovery of the mortar was a surprise. The line going to the mortar was broken. Green said they tripped the trap on the way to retrieve the water. However, the line was so old that it broke rather than pull the pin out of the mortar and detonating.

Green said that had it detonated, it would have severely injured the men. After delivering the water to the platoon, they returned and detonated the trap.

During the second patrol he spoke about, he said a man from the base accompanied them with a dog. Green indicated this was done periodically. On this particular occasion, the man with the dog had an orange in his pocket. Green said he was not sure where he had gotten it.

Green said they heard monkeys hollering in the trees. They knew the Vietcong had scared the monkeys. The man with the dog climbed a tree to see where the Vietcong were. As he was in the tree, one of the enemy soldiers fired at him. The bullet struck the orange in the man’s pocket passing completely through. The man was not hurt.

Green recounted another story from his service in Vietnam. He said he and the other servicemen lived mostly on C Rations. He explained that one member of his platoon carried a skillet. When the opportunity arose, they would cook out in the field. He said they would all hand a can from their C Ration to the serviceman with the skillet. He would cook and they would all share the meal.

Green said that at one point the platoon arrived at another base. They were told that they would still eat the C Rations while there. Green said another serviceman who was tired of the C Rations told him he knew where he could steal a ham. He asked Green to make sure he did not get caught and Green agreed. The duo successfully acquired the ham.

Green said it was known the ham was stolen but no one knew who stole it. Because of this, no one was punished. Green then chuckled and said about 16 years ago he was invited to a reunion of his platoon at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. As he chuckled, he said the ham was brought up.

Green said it was since discovered who had stolen the ham, however one member of his platoon said they never figured out who the accomplice was. It was then those many years later that Green finally admitted he was the accomplice. Green said his platoon shared a good laugh after his confession.

While in Vietnam, Green was able to call his wife, Clara, twice. He did not get to talk to her either time. Clara was at her parents house on the first call and the second call home she missed because she was at the hospital giving birth to their first son Kevin.

Green returned home and had to report to Fort Carlson in Nevada the day after Thanksgiving 1971.This time, Clara traveled with him. He was discharged Dec. 23, 1971, and the couple arrived home about midnight on December 24.

The couple would welcome another son, Keith and a daughter, Kelly to their family. Over the years six grandchildren were welcomed as well.

After his return from military service, Green worked at the Bloomfield Elders Manufacturing facility. He then worked 28 and a half years at Arvin Meritor before retiring in 2012.

Green said over the years he has attended reunions with the members of his platoon. He said they have held a memorial for every member of the platoon that was lost in Vietnam. His platoon was asked one time by a grieving father if they would conduct a memorial for his son who was lost in Afghanistan. The platoon honored this request.

Green’s two sons both served in the U.S. Air Force. Keith now works as a police officer in Cape Girardeau and Kevin works at the VA hospital in Poplar Bluff. The Greens daughter, Kelly, is a teacher at Puxico.

The Greens now enjoy a quiet country life watching their grandchildren grow. They also attend various ball games to watch their grandchildren play. They are very happy with their country life,