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Robert Doriss - Member since 1988
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I was drafted into the Army in December 1969. On the train enroute to Ft. Dix, I read in the paper the first posting of the first lottery numbers drawn. Apparently, I was part of the last pre-lottery group to be drafted. I was trained in the combat arms for 9 months at Ft. Dix, Ft. Lewis, & Ft. Benning. I was trained in infantry, armored cavalry, & operations and intelligence. When I arrived in Vietnam in September 1970, I had 3 M.O.S.s. I was deployed to Camp Radcliffe in An Khe, Central Highlands, II Corps. I was with the 4th Infantry Division (1/14) and later transferred to the 1/10th Cav. Buffalo Soldiers. My first mission in the field was to Fire Base Challenge, a mountaintop stronghold astride the Ho Chi Minh Trail. At night I could hear the North Vietnamese elephants trumpeting as they transported munitions & materiele through the jungled gorges. While most of my year was spent in the field, I did serve a short stint in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center). When the promotion board convened, I ranked #1 out of 368 candidates for SGT. E-5. That was a proud moment for me. Though I was awarded 2 C.I.B.s from the 2 units I'd been with & several commendable medals, I've discovered that listening to other 1071 members share their experiences about the Tet Offensive, Khe Sanh, Meo tribal deployment, & operations in Laos has been a humbling experience for me. Personally, I feel like I was amateur hour by comparison! I was very lucky.
Fifteen years after returning from Vietnam, I joined the 5th BN 19th Special Forces Group of the Colorado Army National Guard. After 4 years I transferred to the 140th Signal BN, & several years later, transferred to the 168th RTI (Regional Training Institute) at Ft. Carson. I served 9 summers as a guest instructor at Ft. Meade, SD at the Accelerated OCS Academy. I also served as Assistant TCO (Test Control Officer) at the RTI as well as Total Army Instructor Training instructor for several years. I retired one day past my 61st birthday, having received an age waiver from the Pentagon to stay in the National Guard for one year past the mandatory retirement age of 60. All told, I served 23 1/2 years.
Fifteen years after returning from Vietnam, I joined the 5th BN 19th Special Forces Group of the Colorado Army National Guard. After 4 years I transferred to the 140th Signal BN, & several years later, transferred to the 168th RTI (Regional Training Institute) at Ft. Carson. I served 9 summers as a guest instructor at Ft. Meade, SD at the Accelerated OCS Academy. I also served as Assistant TCO (Test Control Officer) at the RTI as well as Total Army Instructor Training instructor for several years. I retired one day past my 61st birthday, having received an age waiver from the Pentagon to stay in the National Guard for one year past the mandatory retirement age of 60. All told, I served 23 1/2 years.
