Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Guys who went to Vietnam, then back into High School

There were two guys in our school who had been in the military/Vietnam then came back to High School. [?]

This was 1975 1976, I don't remember any details as to why.

I thought we withdrew from Vietnam in 1973?

Fall of Saigon, pushing Hueys off the roof, April 30, 1975.

To get their diploma is my guess.

My wife's uncle did it in WWII. He was too old for sports so he became a cheerleader. He said it was a REAL good time.

IIRC Used to be in Texas you could attend high school until 21.

Lawyers would have their clients re-enroll because it looked better in court. I had one such in my class my first year, tattoos, prison muscles.

There was another kid in that class always mouthing off. Victor told me he hated that kid because he was always disrupting class. his last day of school (court appearance next day) Victor gave that mouthy kid the ol’ Mike Tyson routine in the hallway, left him in a pile, kids said it was all over in about twenty seconds

A few years later, mouthy kid stops by in his Air Force uniform, apologized to me for the way he acted, so ya never know about people.

That was going on 35 years ago, I hope both those guys are doing OK.

Some of the late teenage Kurdish students in the high school auto mechanics course I taught in 2010-11 were battle-hardened "refugee" combat vets- - - - -dangerous as a rattlesnake! I learned to never turn my back to them.

Negatory on the viet nam school kids

But we did have this dude that was about 22 years old, had a head the size of a Charleston watermelon. He thought he was The Karate Kid. Or the fat, retarded version thereof.

Sounds like a cool cat.

Regardless of their situation, I have to respect anyone who returns to school to get their diploma.

A friend from school and I were talking the other day and he brought it up that the guy Roger had died. The other he didn't know anything about.
Neither of us knew how such a thing like that happened. We figured their parents ok'd them going into the military before age 18, they did >>then off to Vietnam.?.
Roger was a small guy black wavey hair, full thick beard and wore a purple beret. He claimed he was involved in quite a bit of combat.
Anyway I just wondered if it was a really rare event etc., sounds like it wasn't.

RIP Roger.

My oldest brother had to drop out of school in the mid 70's for some reason that I don't remember but 2 years later he enrolled again and received his diploma.

My dad left high school and went to Korea, when he got back he finished high school. It was pretty rural location.

My uncle Jim stole his sister's birth certificate, changed the name and enlisted in the Marines in 1943. Was at Pelieu, Iwo Jima, and Saipan. Came back home and they gave him credit at the high school for the two years he was gone and was able to graduate with his class.

AxI, welcome to the 'fire.

I met a cousin of my FIL from Escanaba, MI. And he shared this story with me.....
He left High School after his Jr year and joined the Navy during WW2.
After his service he went back to his high school to finish and get his diploma and his Principal asked where he's been? He told him mostly the South Pacific on whatever kind of ship etc.
His Principal asked if had a necktie and sport coat at home? Go get them, I'll get the camera ready for your senior picture and sign your diploma!
What are we going to teach you after your service?!!

Went into the Navy at 17, (Sophomore) took my GED test and graduated during bootcamp leave prior to shipping pout to Nam. So didn't go back to High School, but graduated almost two years before the rest of my class...

A little off subject, I had a guy doing some brick work a few years ago (I'm a Vet from that ERA, but not Vietnam). He was drafted & sent to Vietnam, but before being drafted he had been to the Funerals of two high school buddies killed in Vietnam. Hell of an introduction to being a young adult.

After returning from Nam I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks with a PHD.