Oral+History+Interview

INTERVIEW with Richard Nelson (done by email) What was your main role at Wildwood Air force base?

My main role was the commander of the dental clinic, composed of one dentist (me) and two sargents who worked with me. We had two physicians, two nurses, and several other auxilary personnel who were assigned there also. My rank was Captain.

What do you remember about the start of Vietnam and the Cold War?

The first recollection I have of the Vietnam war was the police action at Tonkin Bay, which ended with the loss of hundreds of American soldiers. The military immediately asked for more troops and escalated the military action to increase the number of soldiers used for the fighting there. That quickly put the U.S. in a high demand for soldiers and many people opposed this troop buildup.

What was your mission at Wildwood Air force base?

Our mission was to spy on the Russians during the Cold War, because we were basically right next door to them.

When did you get drafted to go to Alaska? How long were you ther for?

I was drafted in June of 1966 and after that I spent two years in Alaska. From there I was sent to Duluth Air Base in Minnesota and then on to Willmar as a civilion.

What do you most remember about Vietnam and the Cold War?

The Cuba missile crisis impacting part of the cold war for me. President Kennedy told Russia to get the missiles out of Cuba or risk an attack by the U.S. This was very scary because both had large stores of nuclear weapons available and the thought of a nuclear attack was really devestating. Most people had bomb shelters and food and water stored in the homes during this period.

What did the impact of being in the military during Vietnam and the Cold War have on you? Does it make you have a different point of view for the war currently in Iraq?

I firmly believe we never should have invaded Iraq and I felt that way from the beginning. President Bush reacted poorly as a leader after 9/11. His retionale for attacking Iraq was based solely on "getting even" with someone for 9/11 and he absolutely chose the wrong country. Had we invaded Afganastan to capture or destroy Osama Bin Laden, I would have been in favor of that military action.
 * I was patriotic enough to support my country in the Vietnam war, but thought we should be much more aggresive in how we were fighting the war. Too many Americans died because we didn't use all the weapons available to the military. After I was drafted as a dentist my attitude changed and I wanted the U.S. to compromise in any way possible to end the war. I was never a target of public scorn, I even felt a sense of pride while wearing my uniform in public. ||

Was there a difference when you went back to living a normal life and not being in the military anymore? What was the biggest change for you?

The biggest difference between military and civilian life is the chain of command. For example, as a Captain it was required for all enlisted personnel and officers who were of lesser rank than me to salute me any time I passed by them.Your mom was just a little girl and she enjoyed riding in the car to the air base because when the car entered the gate all the military police saluted it even though I wasn't in it. She always thought that was so cool. Otherwise as a dentist I pretty much did the same thing in the military as I did in civilian life so the transition into and out of the military was quite easy.