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Catalog number: VIS 201.0660
In this interview, Ron Helmly recalls his 42-year career in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves during and after the Vietnam War. He recalls his growing up years and the factors that influenced his decision to enlist. He describes many of the commanders and non-commissioned officers with whom he worked and reflects on what they taught him about discipline and leadership. He recalls in great detail many of the fire fights in which he took part in Vietnam, including several ambushes and the retaking of the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters after it was overrun during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He describes his later work in the Army Reserves, including serving as Chief of the Army Reserves, and describes later assignments resettling refugees from Kosovo and managing Army Reserve forces during the early days of the Global War on Terror. He explains his decision to retire in 2008 as a two-star general and reflects on the ways his service in Vietnam informed the rest of his life.