“I was around 19, taking college classes, when I got mononucleosis. So I dropped out while recovering. And I immediately received a draft notice. I flunked my physical because of the mono, and because one leg was a little shorter than the other. I also had a growth on my throat that they thought might be cancerous. To be honest, I felt relieved. I had no real ambition to go to Vietnam.

“Then, about six weeks later, I got another notice. It was the result of what they called (Defense Secretary Robert) McNamara’s 100,000. They were desperate for more troops, so I got upgraded from 4-F.

“I was stationed in Pleiku, near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, when there was a mortar and rocket attack. We lost some vehicles, so we had to drive down to Cam Ranh Bay to pick up new ones. Along the way, our convoy was ambushed. I was driving, and the guy next to me was shot in the head and killed. It was awful. Something I’ll never forget.

“When we’d go out on patrol, I always told the other guys that if I ever stepped on a land mine and got my leg blown off, make sure you shoot me. Because I didn’t want to live like that.

“I was thankful to God when I finally made it back home. But we lost a lot of good men over there.

“PTSD is real. When I first came back, my wife and I had an apartment about a block away from the fire station in this little town in Ohio. Every night at 10 o’clock, they’d sound this siren that was like a curfew for the kids. I’d roll out of that bed and get underneath. It was like my mind was reacting to a mortar or rocket attack.

“I still have nightmares at times. And if I’m stopped at a railroad track, waiting on the train to pass, I can’t stay in my car. I have to open up the door. It’s like a flashback to that guy getting shot.

“There’s a group of area Vietnam veterans who meet once a week. We get together and talk about anything and everything. It’s just good to know that there are people who went through the same thing you did. Some of them had it a lot worse than me.

Agent Orange strikes

“Physically, I was always into stuff. I played football and ran track in school. I later ran marathons and 10Ks. I also was a soccer referee for years. I was in pretty good shape. But about seven years ago, I began losing feeling in my feet and hands. I’d be driving, and I couldn’t tell if my foot was on the gas or brake. I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy.

“When my wife was battling lymphoma [Judy passed away in 2023], other than walking around the hospital I didn’t get much exercise. Then I started noticing my right foot would catch at the ball of my foot, and I’d fall. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. It was drop foot. It’s when your nerve and leg don’t communicate to your ankle to come up, and your foot kind of drags.

“While serving in Vietnam, they sprayed a lot of Agent Orange. When the plane dropped it, it carved a path right through the jungle. We just saw it for what it was. It worked great for the purpose. Years later, as veterans started having all kinds of symptoms, that’s when it really hit home. I had diabetes, neuropathy, some vision loss. Finally, the VA agreed it fell under the criteria for Agent Orange.

“About three months ago, I finally made it to 100% disabled. It took me 14 years to work through the system to get there. I now have total access to anything from the VA. They pay for my prescriptions. They cover medical issues. I get a nice check every month. And there are various other benefits.

“When I get up in the morning, my back aches, my legs ache, and I can’t feel my feet. My fingers don’t work the way they used to. Of course, I’m 78, so that plays into it. But I keep going. I walk at Lee College and I go to Fitness Connection mainly for elliptical and bike. I want to get in better shape so I can travel and see more of the country. I love the outdoors. I’d like to enjoy what time I have left.”

— Gary Gill

Gary was a project engineer for Mobay, Miles and Bayer before retiring in 2008. Mobay in New Martinsville, West Virginia, enabled him to complete his degree in industrial engineering by working and then driving 101 miles each day to classes at Ohio University.

The post Veteran still deals with impacts of Vietnam War appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“In 2014, at the last red light before going over the Fred Hartman Bridge, an 18-wheeler got me. I mean, he T-boned me.

“They Life Flighted me to Hermann Hospital. I was in a coma for three days and in ICU for three weeks. Because of it, I have a 2 1/2-inch titanium plate screwed into my neck.

“Before that, I had cancer in my bottom lip. I never smoked a day in my life. It was carcinoma. They cut right down the center of my lip, all the way across, and took out the cancer. I needed 93 stitches.

“Then about five or six years ago, they removed my whole upper lip with another carcinoma. They took some skin from behind my ears to fill in, then just stretched the cheek and sewed me up. It’s so tight, I couldn’t get my partial in.

“I’ve also had a bunch of other skin cancers removed. And then, a few years ago, they found colon cancer. I had 13 inches of my colon removed. Last year, I had a brand new knee put in. I spent 19 weeks in therapy with that knee. I also had a new shoulder put in. There’s four different pieces in there. I had rotator cuff surgery, too.

“Some of that was pretty rough to deal with, but I never really did get discouraged. I’m 81, and I’m still active. I keep looking forward. I guess I’m just a walking miracle. The good lord has been taking such good care of me.”

— Larry Stratmann

Larry has served others all his adult life. He was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, then enjoyed long careers in police and security work. His favorite volunteer gig has been helping with the food pantry at Missouri Street Church of Christ in Baytown. He also was part of the volunteer fire department and volunteer ambulance service in Beach City, where he lives with his wife.

Related:

• Navy veteran reflects on Vietnam War service

• Fishing trip turns into burglary stop

The post Navy veteran calls himself ‘walking miracle’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I saw a guy coming out the back door carrying a television. I said, ‘How are you today, sir?’ He said, ‘Just fine. I’m taking my TV to get fixed.’ I wasn’t wearing a uniform, but I did have my badge. I walked the guy to the back door, and I saw it was kicked in. That’s when he broke and ran.

“I chased after him. I had my cowboy boots on, and it was kind of muddy. But I managed to catch up to him. I grabbed him by the shoulders. He jerked around and knocked me over. Then he jumped on top of me. He was trying to grab my weapon. One of the neighbors saw what was happening. He came running, and he hit the guy in the head with an iron pipe.

“The guy rolled off me and took off again. As he reached the van, a lady came out of the house and jumped in the front seat. It was his wife. I had already called for backup, and he was coming down the road. When the burglar pulled out, they hit right on. The guy I was chasing had a hurt leg, so he couldn’t get away. He was locked up for burglary and assaulting a police officer.

“Well, about 25 years later, after I left the department and was working security for Baytown schools, I got a call from the same dispatcher on duty the day of that burglary. She said, ‘You’ll never guess who came to see you today.’ She gave me his name, and I said, ‘You’re kidding me?’

“It was the same guy. He had just gotten out of jail, and he asked if I was around. She told him I had gone to Massachusetts, and that I was working for the highway patrol up there. It was quick thinking on her part. He was a big old boy. So for a long time after that, I kept looking over my shoulder.”

— Larry Stratmann

After serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, Larry had a long career in police and security work. In 2010, he retired as assistant security chief for Goose Creek CISD.

Related:

• Navy veteran reflects on Vietnam War service

• Navy veteran calls himself ‘walking miracle’

The post Fishing trip turns into burglary stop appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I graduated high school the night of the 28th of May. The night of the 29th, I was sleeping in my barracks.

“A friend of mine was in the Navy, and I had always wanted to join. The Vietnam War had just started. I went through boot camp and then to Class A radioman school. I was one of the very first communications advisors to the commander of Service Squadron 3. I worked in crypto. That’s where all the top-secret messages were received and shipped out. I really enjoyed it, because I knew the importance of it.

“I served four years. When I came back to the states, I flew from the Philippines to San Francisco. When I got off the plane, there was nothing but these hippies running around. They spit at us and yelled at us. It was terrible. But once I got back to Texas, it was OK.

“I’ve been with VFW Post 912 in Baytown for about 15 years. One of the things I do is give away Buddy Poppies. It’s a piece of wire with a little red poppy on it. We pass them out and take donations. All the money we receive helps our military veterans and their families — those that are in need.

“It’s unbelievable how generous people are. A few weeks ago, I was set up outside Kroger. I use a plastic bottle for donations. And I collected about $700 in three hours. In fact, I had two people drop $100 bills into it. I’ve been doing it for several years, and it really, really helps.”

— Larry Stratmann

During the Vietnam War, one of Larry’s brothers was a Marine and another was in the Air Force. The Marine died in a car wreck, only two weeks after returning from Vietnam. The night he was buried, their father died of a heart attack.

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• Fishing trip turns into burglary stop

• Navy veteran calls himself ‘walking miracle’

The post Navy veteran reflects on Vietnam War service appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“Growing up during the Great Depression, times were so bad. My folks were very poor back in those days. It was a hard life. You just existed. You didn’t have really anything. It was just the very essentials. Just exactly what you could get by on, that’s pretty much what you got.

“The only meat we had mostly came from a hog that we killed during the wintertime. They used salt and brown sugar to keep it from spoiling, because we didn’t have an ice box. We lived off the land. There was a lot of wild stuff that you could eat, like red berries, blackberries, mustang grapes, possum grapes, and things like that.

“I was an outside boy. So I spent most of my time in the woods with my old dog and my slingshot. That was up until I was about 9 or 10. Then my dad left the family because of us being so poor and everything. He couldn’t handle it. He just gave up and took off.

“My mother was left with seven children, including a brand new baby. It was very difficult for her. She was crippled for 55 years of her life. She had polio and walked on crutches.

“But I was from a family that just never would give up. Looking back on it all now, it’s unbelievable how we made it through. My mother deserves a great deal of the credit. She was an iron woman. You just couldn’t keep her down.”

— Fred Sneed, 97

(Note: Fred Sneed passed away on Aug. 29, 2021.)

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• At age 97, ‘it’s a joy to be alive’

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The post ‘Iron woman’ helps them survive Great Depression appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I was 19 years old in 1941. In those days, you didn’t work on Sundays. Nothing was open. It was a special day. So when Pearl Harbor happened, I was so frustrated. How could they attack on a Sunday morning?

“I was so proud of America, and it so bothered me, that I ran right down to the induction center at our post office. I intended to join the Army, but the guy there had gone to lunch. The Navy guy was there, so I joined the Navy instead.

“I served on the U.S.S. Manila Bay. I stayed on that ship all during the war. We were strafed. We were bombed. And we had a kamikaze hit us. The ship survived, but I lost a lot of friends.

“I remember one time when we were under heavy attack. All these planes were coming in, with strafing all around us. One of the planes was only 20 or 30 feet off the water, and he was headed right for my gun mount. That guy was so close, I could make out his goggles. And I thought, dear God, if I die today, I sure was going to hell. Because I believed in hell, this place of torment or whatever. I’d always been a wild kind of a guy. I had done every kind of sin that was named, as well as some that weren’t named. I was really a demon possessed among men. So when I saw that guy coming in, I thought, oh, lord, if you’ll save me, I’ll serve you. I had no idea that you could bargain with God. But I was trying to bargain with him anyway. And just about the time that plane was going to hit, one of our guns got him and he exploded.

“During the war, I never really thought I would come out alive. We were in danger all the time. It was a horrible way to live. We were fighting for survival, but we never thought we would survive.”

— Fred Sneed, 97

A few years after the war, Fred followed through on his promise and joined the ministry. He served in that capacity for more than 50 years.

(Note: Fred Sneed passed away on Aug. 29, 2021.)

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The post Navy veteran: ‘We never thought we would survive’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I never could have imagined living to be 97. I have no idea how it feels, really. I mean, I don’t know any different. I’m slower, yeah. I have a little trouble with short-term memory. But overall, my mind is still fairly good.

“I live by myself. I take care of the house. I do all the laundry and everything. I still go out back to my shop and piddle around a little bit. I guess I’m just blessed to have survived everything I’ve gone through in life. I survived the war. I survived a heart attack. I survived a broken hip. I survived cancer.

“I had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. That was kind of an unusual thing. I got sick. They did tests. My wife and I were waiting on the report when the doctor came back. He said, ‘Well, Mr. Sneed, I hate to tell you this, but you’ve got cancer. It’s in your lymph nodes. If you take the treatments, you probably will live six months. But if you don’t take the treatments, you probably won’t live very long.’

“That wasn’t very good news. My wife started crying and I started crying. We cried a little longer, then got over it. I thought, well, if I’m going to die, I need to get things in order that need to be done. I was thinking about that and talking to her about it. Then, suddenly, just out of the blue, I said, ‘We’re not going to change anything, honey. We’re going to go ahead just like it is, and trust in the lord.’ So we did. And I’m still here.

“Isn’t that amazing? My life has been amazing. I was married 67 years. Our kids — four boys and two girls — are all still alive. I have grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a great-great grandchild. Sometimes I wonder, why me? Why have I been such a fortunate man? But then I think, well, I don’t really mean that, lord. I’ve been through so much, and I’ve been close to death so many times. I’m just glad to be here and glad that I can still do the things that I do. It’s a joy to be alive.”

— Fred Sneed

(Note: Fred Sneed passed away on Aug. 29, 2021.)

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• Navy veteran: ‘We never thought we would survive’

• ‘Iron woman’ helps them survive Great Depression

The post At age 97, ‘it’s a joy to be alive’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m a disabled veteran, and they keep touting preventive medicine at the VA. I thought, well, I need more exercise. But my feet were so bad that I could hardly get around. So I decided I would purchase a recombinant bike that I saw online. It’s supposed to be joint friendly and back friendly. But after getting it, I realized it really wasn’t what I wanted. So I managed to get enough money together to purchase this one, and I let him ride the other one now. They’re not cheap. That one cost abut $1,000 and this one was $3,000. But I just figured, what’s my health worth, you know?

“The final straw was when I realized that I had no muscle tone in my legs and I started losing my equilibrium in this left ear. If I would fall just a little bit that way, there was nothing to catch me. And I was falling a lot. So I decided I needed to change that, to get these legs at least to where they’ll hold me up again. It’s my last gasp at trying to get off the greasy slope of no return.

“With the heat and then the rain, we haven’t had a chance to get out here before now. We’re just getting started. This is our second trip out. And I tell you what, I’m about beat to a nub just making one pass around the park. We plan on taking it slow and working our way back. Even though I’m 73, I don’t see any reason not to try. When God punches my ticket, I’ll go. But until then, I’m not going to quit.”

— K.C. Compton

(Editor’s note: K.C. passed away on Nov. 29, 2018.)

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• ‘It was a blessing that God took me out so early’

The post Off the couch, onto a bike for disabled veteran appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“It was 1966, and I was in Vietnam with the 5th Mechanized Infantry Division. I got medically discharged after about three months as a combat medic. I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A piece of shrapnel went through my right eye, and it was gone immediately. In a way, I kind of think it was a blessing that God took me out of that mess so early. If I would have stayed over there the full tour, 13 months, I probably wouldn’t have made it. I don’t know. But God knew, so he took me out of there.

“I was medically retired, but it took quite a while for my compensation to catch up with the disability. Part of it probably has to do with age and unemployability. While I’ve been without this eye for years, the other one is going out to an extent. I’ve got glaucoma working in it. I also lost the hearing in my left ear. So maybe they added all of that to the unemployability and bumped it up to 100 percent. Last November, while I was gone to visit my son in North Dakota, they finally granted it. I didn’t know until I came back home and discovered that I had a lot of money in the bank. I called the bank and said, ‘Y’all made a mistake.’ They said, ‘No, we didn’t.’ And I said, ‘Well, I guess I’ve hit the lotto.’”

— K.C. Compton, 73

(Editor’s note: K.C. passed away on Nov. 29, 2018.)

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• Off the couch, onto a bike for disabled veteran

The post ‘It was a blessing that God took me out so early’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m a veteran. I was in the Marine Corps. And there were two things the Marine Corps forgot to teach me. Number one, rollerskating. Number two, ballet. But what did they teach me? They taught me to take my job seriously. They taught me to kill. You think I’m going to let someone come here and hurt you, while I’m wearing a uniform representing this country? No way.

“I remember when I was just 19 years old, and my commanding officer had a mustache. If your commanding officer had one, then you were allowed to have one, too. Well, at 19, my mustache wasn’t as dark as my hair. So how did I accommodate that? Shoe polish and a comb.”

— Ray Allen Benoit

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