Salute to Veterans: Marine ‘grew up real fast’ during Vietnam War

John J. Bain Jr. was a 19-year-old Marine when he landed in Vietnam in 1968.

“I did a lot of heavy combat that year,” Bain said in a recent interview. “I grew up real fast. We all did.”

He has many difficult memories of the war, including his time in the coastal Phu Loc district. He tells his stories in a simple, direct manner, sparing many of the bloody details.

“We were at a USO show once when we got hit in the middle of the day,” Bain recalled. “I got into anti-tank vehicle. I could hear rounds popping off the vehicle, and we killed quite a few of them. They punched their way in and we pushed them right back out.”

He was injured more than once, but his most serious injuries were suffered when he breathed in napalm during a particularly heavy battle with North Vietnamese forces in the so-called “Arizona Territory” and An Hoa that same year.

Some time around late 1968 or early 1969, right after the monsoon season, Bain was part of group patrolling the countryside, looking for enemy weapons.

“That was a huge firefight. There was probably 150 people in front of me with my (machine gun),” Bain said. “It got really heavy, and I sucked in some napalm, which is why I have throat problems today.”

He lost friends, many Marines and soldiers. Some were killed, some were injured – taken away and never seen again.

“You learned a lot, booby traps, small arms, machine guns, all kinds of fighting,” Bain said. “I learned that you always take care of your own people. In the military, we all take care of each other. That continues, or should continue, even after you’re out.”

It’s an attitude Bain employs today in his personal life, his professional life and his work with the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Merced. Bain said he particularly enjoys his work with the VFW.

“We have quite a history. It’s a good history, it’s been 100 years now,” he said. “Hopefully we can get some more of the young guys involved. We need them because a lot of us are getting older now.”

He helps with funeral services for veterans and helps female veterans who are serving time in the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla.

“The VFW distributes items like soaps and toothpaste, and when they finish their obligation, we do anything we can to help them back on their feet,” Bain said. “In the military you’re taught to serve – your country, your friends – and it becomes a way of life.”

Bain said the best thing a person can do for a military veteran is to simply thank them for their service, especially around Veterans Day.

“You know, it really does mean so much to them,” Bain said. “You never know how much it can help. A lot of them have (post-traumatic stress) and a lot have a hard time getting used to life outside (the military) and that one comment can make all the difference.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Salute to Veterans: Marine ‘grew up real fast’ during Vietnam War."