FORT SILL, Okla.-- More than 60 1st Infantry Division artillery veterans and their family members reunited May 8, at Fort Sill.
The reunion was open to any artilleryman who served with the division at any point in his career.
"Most of the Soldiers here served in Vietnam," said Joseph Richard, event coordinator.
Some of the veterans have sentimental connections with some of the Vietnam era equipment on display at the Army Field Artillery Museum, here.
"On Nov. 1, 1968, there was a conflict at Rita," said Richard. "We were overrun by North Vietnam soldiers. One gun crew was killed; that gun sits on the Cannon Walk at the Field Artillery museum."
The commander of the battalion, then Lt. Col. Charles Rodgers, was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving many of his Soldiers' lives. He went on to continue his distinguished military career and retired as a major general.
"He went to all the positions and rallied the defenses," said Richard. "If it weren't for him, we'd all be dead."
During their tour of Fort Sill, the artillerymen viewed a live-fire training event, which was being conducted by 1st Battalion, 17th Field Artillery at Contingency Operations Location Mow-way.
The attendees recognized the difference in technology the Army used while they served on active duty compared to the modern Army.
"Loading systems weren't automated," said Joseph Plunkett, who was drafted and served as a generator mechanic. "Now you have GPS stuff; shoot and scoot that's what it's made for."
After some of the division's Soldiers finished their draft-mandated tours of Vietnam, some continued to serve in the military while others opted not to.
Plunkett said if you weren't dead or missing limbs, you returned home and tried to resume life as you knew it prior to deploying.
"For most of us," said Plunkett, "Vietnam was the biggest adventure of our lives. This is our way of reliving it safely."
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