STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of SSG Clentis D. Turnbow, U.S. Army (1962-1982)

Family members who served in the Army had the greatest influence on me. My brother, Bill Turnbow, my uncle, Stanley Scott, and another uncle, Leland Scott, all served in the Army. I was from a small town in southwest Kentucky called Hickman, and there wasn’t much opportunity for a young man there, so I had pretty much decided I was going in the Army after school. Four days after getting out of high school, one of my best friends decided he was going to enlist in the Navy. He wanted me to go with him, and even though I really didn’t want to go in the Navy, he finally talked me into it. The Navy recruiter was from our hometown, so we went to see him. On May 29th, 1962 Eddie Cagle and I were on a Greyhound bus headed to Memphis, Tennessee for our physicals.

When all was over, I changed my mind, got on another Greyhound bus and went back home. Little did I know at that time what would happen 11 years later. Eddie enlisted and went to San Diego, California for boot camp.

About 5 weeks later I decided I was going to enlist in the Army. This time I went to see the Army recruiter, and on July 12th, 1962 I was on another Greyhound bus, this time headed for Louisville, Kentucky. I had another physical, was sworn in and put on another bus for Fort Knox, Kentucky for Basic Training.

The first week I was in the Army I was at the Reception Station at Fort Knox. Here, I was issued my uniforms, got my GI haircut (no problem, I had short hair anyway), got my shots, etc. I also took a battery of tests which would determine what training I was best qualified for after basic training. It turned out that I had two choices, be an MP or a clerk typist. To this day, I still wonder how they made that determination. I knew I didn’t want to be an MP (little did I know what would happen in 1985), so I chose to be a clerk typist (MOS 71A10).

Basic training was everything I heard it was, and more. To make the transition from civilian life to military life required a lot of hard work. I don’t remember any of the instructors, but I will never forget my platoon sergeant. His name was SFC Wheeler. This little man had the loudest voice I had ever heard, and it was even louder when he was in your face. I remember a couple of the first things he told us, “You will shave every morning whether you need it or not, and you will get a haircut every week whether you need it or not. When you get your haircut, be sure to tell the barber you want the Wheeler special.”

Most of the basic training wasn’t too bad. Of course, we did a lot of marching. Fort Knox has some notorious hills that they named. One was Heartache, another was Heartbreak. Marching up these monsters with full field gear was pure torture. The thing I enjoyed most was the firing range. Being a country boy who had done a lot of hunting with one of my uncles made me a pretty good shot. Of course, it was a lot different firing that M-1 rifle. The thing I hated the most was the infiltration course. I had to go through it twice, once during the day and again at night. It might not have been so bad except it rained all day and all night. I never crawled through so much mud in my life.

After basic training, I went to clerk typist school, which was also at Fort Knox. The school made me wish I had taken typing in high school. A lot of guys did that, so it made typing classes much easier for them. Eight weeks later I graduated, got my MOS, and orders for my first permanent duty station, Army Hospital, Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York.

For a Private stationed in New York City, as well as a country boy from Kentucky, the city was overwhelming. Not much you can do on a private’s pay of $78.00 a month. The city was very expensive, but there were some good parts to it. I got to see all of the usual tourist attractions. I went to Yankees and Mets games for free just by wearing my uniform. I was there for 10 months when I got orders to the 517th Medical Company (Clearing) in Bad Kreuznach, Germany.

I loved Germany. I loved my unit, my job, and the many friends I made there. It was here I got my first real promotion, to SP4. I remember how nervous I was going before the promotion board, hoping I could answer all of their questions correctly. The worst thing about Germany was the midnight curfew for E-4 and below unless you were on leave or had a three-day pass. I did get to do some traveling. My favorite place to visit was Copenhagen, Denmark. I was in Germany for two years. My next orders were to the Army Hospital, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

This was another really good assignment. I got my next promotion here, to SP5. It was a challenging job. When I arrived at the hospital had no Personnel Office. The CO wanted me to organize and set one up. It wasn’t easy, but we finally got the office going and the personnel records for everyone assigned to the hospital were transferred to us. It wasn’t too long after that and we had a good, efficient personnel office functioning. Of course, this was something I could not have done alone. I had some really good people who did a fantastic job. I was here for 9 months and I received orders to Vietnam.

I’m not going to write anything about my tours in Vietnam here. I will have much more to write about that in other sections of my reflections.

Between tours to Vietnam, I was assigned to the 1st AIT Brigade in Fort Dix, New Jersey. Here I worked in the Personnel Office checking in new arrivals. One of the new arrivals I had the honor of checking in was Medal Of Honor recipient SGT David Dolby. David had just flown into McGuire AFB from Washington after receiving the MOH from President Lyndon Johnson. David was a super nice guy, friendly to everyone. He spent a lot of his time going around speaking to schools and various organizations.

One particular memory I have about David happened in the mess hall one morning. David was right in front of me in the line, wearing his Class A uniform with the MOH around his neck as he was going somewhere to speak that day. There was a young private serving the line. When he saw David, he asked him if he was SGT Dolby. David told him that he was. The young man reached his hand across the serving line and said, “I want to shake your hand.” David reached out and shook his hand. To this day, I still wonder sometimes about that young man, if he’s still alive, and remembers when he shook the hand of a Medal Of Honor recipient. David was discharged in December 1967. Later I learned that he went back to Vietnam to get his Vietnamese girlfriend, Xuan, and bring her to the states. David and Xuan were married, but sadly, Xuan passed away on April 9, 1987. I was at Fort Monmouth for 8 months and received orders back to Vietnam.

I had a big surprise when I was at MACSOG in Saigon around August or September of 1969. Just outside the gate to MACSOG, there was a vendor where you could buy sandwiches, cold drinks, and other snacks. I went out to get a cold drink and there was David Dolby. We were totally surprised to see each other, me probably more than him. I wasn’t so much surprised that he had reenlisted, but I didn’t think the Army would let him come back to Vietnam. He told me that was one of the conditions for him to reenlist. We talked for a while and that was the last time I saw or heard from him. Sadly, I learned that David had passed away on August 6, 2010.

I served in the Army from July 1962 until December 1969. At the time I reenlisted for six years in 1964, I had intentions of making the Army my career for at least 20 years. However, after serving two tours in Vietnam, August 1966 to August 1967, and May 1968 to December 1969, I decided to leave the Army. The possibility of a third tour in Vietnam was not at all inviting to me. There were times after my discharge that I regretted my decision and wondered if I had done the right thing. An answer I will never know.

My third night in An Khe, Vietnam the base camp was hit by a Viet Cong suicide squad. It didn’t take me long to learn the difference between outgoing and incoming artillery. The main objective for this squad was to destroy helicopters on the helipad. At that time the 1st Cav was in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest helipad in the world. They did manage to destroy some helicopters before they were killed. The next morning a few of my buddies and myself went to the site where they had the bodies of the VC to be buried in a mass grave. The engineer battalion I was assigned to had the task of digging the hole. It was a gruesome sight. All of the dead men wore black loincloths, sandals, and most were bare-chested. The legs of one of them had been blown off at the knees, and his erect penis was sticking out from under the loincloth. There were flies all over them. Finally, the hole was finished, they were pushed into it, bags of lime were thrown over them, and a bulldozer covered the hole. After we left I wished I had never gone.

The most significant operation was the Post-Tet Offensive in 1969 when I was in Long Binh, Vietnam. We were the hardest hit area in the country the first night of the offensive. Several of my friends lost their lives that night. However, more than 300 of the enemy lost their life. This changed my life forever.

To this day I still have nightmares. My wife has told me many times how I would scream out in my sleep. I would never remember doing it. The VA diagnosed me with moderate PTSD. Then, there was Agent Orange, which I was exposed to during my first tour in Vietnam in An Khe, which was in the central highlands of Vietnam. Lots of mountains with lots of jungle and foliage. They sprayed AO regularly to try and destroy cover for the VC. It was also used extensively in the area around Long Binh where I served my second tour. Agent Orange has affected a lot of veterans.

As for me, I have diabetes, which no one in my family ever had. I have thyroid disease, arthritis (both knees have had arthroscopic surgery), heart disease (heart attack and open heart by-pass surgery in 2004), severe ED, almost died from a duodenal ulcer which starting bleeding severely, and gallbladder surgery. AO hasn’t killed me yet, but it sure has made my life miserable.

Again, the Post-Tet offensive in March of 1969 was a situation I will never forget. I was in Long Binh, Vietnam at the time. We were the hardest hit area in the country the first night of the offensive. Several of my friends lost their lives that night, and I didn’t know if I would survive. More than 300 of the enemy didn’t survive. It was around 0100 when the attack began with rockets fired into the base making direct hits on the officers’ quarters, killing several officers. I was on reaction force that night, which consisted of 50 men that would be used as a backup for the regular perimeter guard. By the time we got to the perimeter, the ground attack had already started. There was a free-fire zone that stretched about a mile from the perimeter, and from the flares that lit up the sky I could see there were hundreds of the enemy.

The sergeant of the guard assigned me to one of the bunkers to take charge of the detonators for the claymore mines. If the VC got close enough to the perimeter I was to detonate the claymores. They never got that close. Spooky and the helicopters arrived on the scene, and from that point, the VC didn’t have a chance. We heard later that all of the dead VC had P-38’s. Their leaders had told them that the part of the perimeter they were going to attack was manned by cooks and clerks, which was true. They thought it would be an easy win, and when they got inside the base they could feast on c-rations, thus the P-38’s to open the cans. They just didn’t count on Spooky and the helicopters.

My fondest duty station was the 517th Medical Company (Clearing) in Bad Kreuznach, Germany from 1963-1965. I made so many friends, both Army and German, during my time there. I also had the opportunity to travel around Europe to several countries.

One thing I will never forget about my tour in An Khe, Vietnam is a place called An Khe Plaza, also known as Sin City, and Disneyland East. For your information, you can read about An Khe Plaza by going to Google and typing in “An Khe Plaza in Vietnam”. First, a little history. Camp Radcliffe in An Khe was the base camp for the 1st Cavalry Division. When these thousands of men arrived in An Khe, there was just An Khe. It didn’t take long until there was Old An Khe and New An Khe. When these men got a chance to go into town, naturally they became intimate with the Vietnamese girls that came to New An Khe, and the venereal disease rate was sky high.

So, the CG and other commanders decided something had to be done to get this under control. Thus was born the idea for An Khe Plaza. It was built with walls all around it with only one entrance, which was guarded by MP’s to make sure that only American GI’s went in. You had to show your ID card at the gate. They also made sure you didn’t have any cameras with you as you weren’t allowed to take any pictures. Inside, there were about 50 bars with each bar having 10-15 girls. The girls lived there. They had their own bedroom, stocked with everything they needed.

They were checked regularly by Army doctors to make sure they were clean. Now, when the men came to town they didn’t have to mingle with the girls in New An Khe. Instead, they could go to An Khe Plaza, have a cold beer or soda (yes, they were cold), and for 1,000 Piasters (about $10.00) they could get intimate with the girl of their choice.

It wasn’t long after An Khe Plaza opened and the VD rate dropped dramatically. So, it was serving its purpose. Of course, there were still some morons that stopped in New An Khe. Before long they would be in line at the dispensary getting shots in their butt. Unfortunately, I learned that not too long after I left Vietnam, An Khe Plaza was permanently closed. Evidently, word got back to the politicians in Washington that the Army had built a brothel in Vietnam. And, the rest is history.

My two tours in Vietnam are still my least favorite.

This is a tough one. I have so many memories that made an impact in my life, some good and some bad. The absolute worst memory I have is, once more, the Post-Tet Offensive in 1969. This has impacted me in so many ways. Combat is a very frightening situation to be in. The thought that I may have killed another human being, even if it was the enemy in a time of war, has never left my mind. To see men that you saw every day, in the mess hall or at work, being killed, is something no one should ever experience.

The best memories I have are the many people I met during my time in the Army. I wish I could remember all of them, but that would be impossible.

First and foremost, I am most proud that I served my country honorably. The medals I received are the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal 2nd Award, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one silver and four bronze stars, Vietnamese Staff Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. These represent that I had done a good job, had served my country well, and had answered the call to do what I must do to defend our great nation.

Whether it was a letter of appreciation I received at Fort Jay, New York, or being named Soldier of the Month in Germany, or being awarded the Army Commendation Medal, all of my achievements are very meaningful to me. They represent to others that I had served my country honorably, with pride, doing whatever I was called upon to do.

Again, there are just too many that had positive impacts on me. To name a few:

SFC Wheeler, my Platoon Sergeant for basic training at Fort Knox, KY.

Carl Underhill and I went through basic training and clerk typist school together and were together at Fort Jay, Governors Island, NY. We lost contact when I was transferred to Germany. I’m proud to say we are in contact again thanks to Army TogetherWeServed. Carl was discharged from the Army, went back to college ROTC, got his commission and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.

MSG James Wall at the Army Hospital, Fort Jay, Governors Island, NY. He was a fellow Kentuckian and I enjoyed working for him.

1SG Franklin D. Doctor at the 517th Medical Company in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. He was born in East Germany, immigrated to the United States, enlisted in the Army and had a great career, serving from 1941 to 1972. He retired as a Command Sergeant Major. I enjoyed working for him as the company clerk. Sadly, he passed away on May 21, 1996.

SP4 Hal Dennis, my co-worker and best friend at the 517th Medical Company in Germany. Hal and I were in contact for several years until his untimely death in an automobile accident on May 31, 1988. We had many good times together, and I miss him very much.

1SG Harry Robinson at the Medical Detachment of the Army Hospital, Fort Monmouth, NJ. He was, without a doubt, another of the finest people I had the pleasure of serving with. We stayed in touch for a few years after I left Fort Monmouth. We lost touch and I haven’t had contact with him for many years now.

SP4 Jim Beamer was probably my best worker in the Personnel Office at Fort Monmouth. I could always depend on him to do a good job at whatever I asked him to do. Before coming to Fort Monmouth, Jim was a Green Beret stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. One night he was walking from town back to the base, a drunk driver hit him. He had some serious injuries, the worst being one of his legs was shattered. After this, his physical profile would no longer qualify him to continue in Special Forces.

GYSGT Glenn Sanders was my best friend and roommate at MACSOG in Saigon, Vietnam. SOG was a joint service unit, so there was Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines assigned there. It was what was nicknamed a “spook unit”, which meant that everything about it was Top Secret. I was never able to make contact with Glenn after I left Vietnam.

Carl Underhill and I served together in basic training and AIT at Fort Knox, KY. Then we both went to Fort Jay, Governors Island, NY. He was assigned to First Army Headquarters and I was assigned to the US Army Hospital. I lost touch with him after I was transferred to Germany, but thanks to Army TWS I recently made contact with him again. I found out that he was discharged from the Army after his three-year enlistment. He went back to college ROTC, received a commission, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. One thing I remember about Carl and I happened in New York City. He and I stood in a long line, in freezing cold, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We learned that our, then, First Lady Jackie Kennedy had arranged with France to have the Mona Lisa brought to this museum. Carl and I stood in this line to see THE Mona Lisa. It was quite an impressive sightseeing as how it was cordoned off so you couldn’t get too close to it, and there were guards there to make sure you didn’t.

Hal Dennis and I served together at the 517th Medical Company (Clearing) in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. We were the company clerks. We quickly became very good friends. Hal spoke fluent German, so that made it easier for me when we went into town. When his enlistment was up Hal decided to be discharged in Germany. He had a German girlfriend named Pia, so he wasn’t ready to leave her yet. When he did leave Germany and went back home to Gadsden, AL, I didn’t hear from him again until 1985. He remembered that I lived in a small town in Kentucky on the Mississippi River, so he got a map and traced the river until he saw the town I lived in. He got my phone number from directory assistance and called me. I was really surprised. I remember we talked for hours and caught up on everything that had gone on in our lives. He told me after he left Germany it wasn’t long until Pia joined him. They got married, but unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last. He went back in the Army, served a tour in Vietnam, and was discharged again. We stayed in touch and in 1986 he came to visit. We both enjoyed that time together catching up on everything. Sadly, on May 31, 1988, Hal was killed in an automobile accident. I have really missed him, and I certainly will never forget him.

Jim Beamer and I served together at the US Army Hospital at Fort Monmouth, NJ. I was in charge of the personnel office at the Hospital Detachment. Jim was the best worker I had in the office. I could always count on him to do anything I asked him to do. Before coming to Fort Monmouth, Jim was a Green Beret stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. One night he was walking back to the base from town, a drunk driver hit him. He received some serious injuries, the worst of which was a shattered leg. After this, his physical profile made him no longer qualified for the Green Berets, and he was transferred to Fort Monmouth. Jim and I had some great times together. Weekends would usually find us going somewhere together. When we left the base, we might end up in New York City, Atlantic City, or anyplace that came to mind. Jim and I lost touch after he was discharged and we haven’t been in contact since.

In An Khe, Vietnam, I had a few close friends, Tony Martini, Ron Martorano, and Wayne McGraw. We worked together in the Personnel Office of the 70th Engineer Battalion. We also lived together in the same tent. Most of the time we spent together was either at work, at home in the GP Large, or at the EM Club, since there was no place to go in An Khe except An Khe Plaza when you had some time off. One particular thing I remember about one of my friends, who shall remain nameless, as you will see why later. For the first nine months, this friend was in An Khe, he never went into town or to An Khe Plaza because he was afraid he might catch something. He told us he was going to save a thousand dollars in nine months, then he was going on R&R to Hong Kong and spend every penny of it having a good time partying, and girls. And, he did! After he got back to Vietnam, a couple of weeks later he found that he had gone all the way to Hong Kong, spent a thousand dollars partying, denying himself female companionship in An Khe, only to catch gonorrhea in Hong Kong. We knew it wasn’t funny, but we couldn’t help but laugh. But, he was a good trooper and took it all in stride. After we all parted ways, I never heard from any of them again.

My best friend at Fort Dix, NJ wasn’t in the Army. I met a girl named Connie and we became very close. I spent practically all of my free time with her. We had a lot of good times together. Unfortunately, we were only together for six months and I got orders back to Vietnam. We talked about it and decided to end the relationship as it wouldn’t be fair to ask her to wait until I got back if I got back. When I left going home on leave, it was the last time I saw or heard from her. I have thought about her over the years, and I sincerely hope she has had a good life.

Glenn Sanders was a Marine Gunnery Sergeant that I served with at MACSOG in Saigon, Vietnam. We shared a room in the hotel we lived in. MACSOG was what was known as a “spook unit”, which simply means that everything about it was Top Secret. Glenn and I went out to our favorite bars just about every night. There was a 10:00 p.m. curfew in Saigon, so there wasn’t a lot of time to do much after we got off work and went to eat dinner. The mess hall was in a different hotel than the one we lived in so we had to take an Army bus to get there. The NCO Club was on the top floor of the hotel we lived in, so sometimes we would go there to eat. They had a pretty good steak. I’ll never forget one time we went to the NCO Club to eat, and after we went to the bar to have a couple of drinks. We got back to our room, I laid down on my bunk and I didn’t feel my wallet in my pocket. We jumped up and headed back to the NCO Club hoping to find my wallet. I remembered paying for our drinks, but evidently, when I thought I was putting it back in my pocket I must have missed it and it fell on the floor. We got back to the club, looked around the area where we were sitting and didn’t find it. We asked the bartender if somebody had found it and turned it into him, but he said no. I guess someone found it and decided to enjoy the use of my money. It was a real hassle trying to replace all the other stuff that was in the wallet. To this day, that is the only time I have ever lost my wallet. I left Vietnam before Glenn and I have never heard from him since.

When I was in basic training we still lived in the old wooden barracks at Fort Knox, KY. On the wooden posts in the barracks were hung these cans with water in them. These were called “butt cans” because you threw your cigarette butts in them.

One day as we about to fall out for afternoon training, I was in a hurry because the platoon sergeant was yelling at us to get out. I had my full field pack on my back, and as I turned to leave I hit a butt can and knocked it off the wooden post and onto the floor.

Needless to say, it made a big mess and the platoon sergeant was not happy about it at all. He called me a few choice names, which I won’t repeat here, and I got out of there in a hurry.

I followed a career in public service after I was discharged from the Navy (remember what I said in an earlier question about not wanting to go in the Navy?). I worked in my hometown as a police officer (remember what I said in an earlier question about not wanting to be an MP?), and a 911 dispatcher for 21 years.

Three and a half years after I was discharged from the Army, I decided I wanted to go back in. I went to see the Army recruiter. He sent the necessary paperwork to Washington. He told me that he thought I could probably get back in as an E-4. When he got the reply from Washington, we were both shocked. Department of the Army said I could come back in as a Private E-1 and go through basic training again. Neither of us had expected anything like that. I told the recruiter, thanks, but no thanks. There was no way I, a thirty-year-old man, was going through basic training again with 18 and 19-year-olds.

My next step was to go see the Navy recruiter. He also sent the necessary paperwork to Washington. He didn’t have any idea what the reply would be. When we got the reply, it was better than what the Army offered. The Navy said I could enlist as a YNSN E-3 and no boot camp. I had hoped for a little more rank, but I accepted the offer. So, on June 5, 1973, off I go to Memphis again for another physical. This time there was no Greyhound bus, I drove. I passed everything, was sworn in, and was told to go to Charleston, South Carolina Naval Base. I drove from Memphis to Charleston and checked in at the Base Personnel. I gave them all the paperwork I was given in Memphis, was assigned billeting, and given a list of places I had to go to get uniforms, etc. About two weeks later I received orders to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One, better known as the Seabees.

I was discharged from the Navy on June 5, 1982. I went back to my hometown where I began to follow the profession of public service. After 21 years service there, in 2006 I was forced to retire for health reasons.

I am now retired.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Life Member, Jones-Walker Post 4862
American Legion, Aubrey Townsend Post 57
Army Together We Served
Navy Together We Served
Police Together We Served
TWS Profile Integrity
Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Chapter 70
American Veterans (AMVETS)
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 875
Wounded Warrior Project

There were many positive ways my military service influenced me in my life. I was a young man of 18 years old when I began my military service. Basic training taught me how to be self-disciplined, respect for authority, and to do things to the best of your ability. I learned that duty, honor, and country are so much more than mere words, they are a way of life for those in the military. I have tried to pass on these ways to my family.

I have no regrets about my experiences in the Army, even those that were not so pleasant, because it was my duty. My decision not to stay in the Army is the only regret I have.

There are many things I miss about being in the Army. I loved the opportunity to see some of the world that I probably would not have otherwise. Of course, what I miss most of all was my friends. Everywhere I went I made friends. The Army is a brotherhood of men and women that had a desire to serve their country.

Make the best of it. You work hard and keep your nose clean, and you can go far in the Army. Take advantage of the many different training areas offered that could help you if you decide not to make the Army your career. Be proud of who you are and what you can be.

TWS has been the best thing I’ve found. I love it.