Interviewed by:

Artie O'Neil and Finn Riley

"Make sure the people you're with ... you trust them and make sure they cover your back ... it didn’t matter race, color, creed, or whatever, everybody watched everybody else’s back."

- Lee Bowman (29:23)

Lee Bowman's Story:

The Vietnam War impacted and changed the lives of many Vietnamese and Americans alike. Throughout this horrific conflict, heroes were born. One of these heroes is Lee Bowman. Mr. Bowman was born on 9/12/50 in Brockton, Massachusetts, but currently resides in Brewster, Massachusetts. Growing up Lee loved to play sports with his friends in Brockton. He played track and football, but most of all baseball. Lee was a huge baseball fan and could play the sport for hours upon hours. Lee decided to enlist in the U.S. Army because he heard the stories of Vietnam and wanted to help, as well, many men of his age were going to be drafted into the military, meaning if he didn't enlist he would not have a say in what he wanted to do once in the military. When he first entertained the idea his family members were heartbroken. Especially his mother and his fiance, who tried to convince him not to leave.

Before he officially joined the army he went to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, where he trained in the A.I.T program. An A.I.T stands for advanced individual training and he trained for heavy equipment. During the Vietnam War Mr. Bowman was a part of the United States Army and started out working with heavy equipment. Lee was first deployed to Cam Ranh Bay, in Vietnam but later on was moved to Long Binh Ammo Depot where he became a tunnel rat. Tunnel rats were used in Vietnam to clear out underground tunnels created by the Vietnamese soldiers so the troops above ground can advance. Being the smallest in his unit, Lee was the first to venture into the tunnels. Coming across many anomalies such as an underground hospital and even traps such as bungees (bamboo spears covered in urine.) While in the army Mr. Bowman encountered many hardships that many of us cannot even fathom, such as witnessing the suicide bombing of a very young child and even the dead carcass of a friend hanging from a tree branch. But through it all his one goal was to help those around him and anyone else he could find that needed help.

Mr. Bowman fought for three long years as a part of the U.S Army, encountering the Vietnamese on numerous occasions. After he served his three years he was extremely grateful to make it back home. Not long after he returned he married his fiance and moved to Brewster, Massachusetts. At first Lee Bowman found it hard to get back into the life of an American civilian for many other civilians disagreed with the war. Upon return many of his fellow townsmen would boo, yell, and even spit at Lee and the other soldiers. Although Mr. Bowman isn't nearly as bitter as other fellow soldiers, it still took him a while to come to turns with the fact that he could not change peoples opinions on the war.

Even though he was cast out from most of his community because he served our nation he still says that he would change nothing about his experience in the military. He believes that his experience was definitely worth it and learned many life lessons during his time serving in the military. If Lee could give any words of advice to anyone thinking of joining the military he would say that listening to exactly what your superiors tell you and to always expect the unexpected.