Robert S. Ficks (b. 1945), a Mequon, Wisconsin resident, discusses his experiences in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1966. During the interview, Ficks refers to 35 mm slides of photographs he took in Vietnam and Japan. Ficks grew up in Shorewood, Wisconsin and was fascinated by World War II history. Ficks states he believed the Marine Corps propaganda that "if you're going to join the military, join the best." After one year at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Ficks enlisted in the Marines. He briefly mentions boot camp in San Diego (California) and details his physical conditioning and M14 rifle training at Camp Pendleton (California). He portrays the Marines as a diverse mix of ethnic, regional, educational, and class backgrounds and states there were no racial tensions. Ficks refutes a mistaken counter-culture image that Marines were automatons or "killing machines." He describes cramped conditions on the ship to Vietnam in 1964. Ficks states Marines spent most of the journey reading paperbacks from the ship's library or playing music. Ficks describes stopping in Okinawa (Japan) twice and enjoying its natural beauty and museums. In Vietnam, Ficks was stationed at Iron Bridge Ridge northwest of DaNang. He summarizes his combat experiences as "long periods of tedium interrupted by fleeting moments of sheer terror." Ficks explains that the Viet Cong attacked sporadically, mostly at night. Booby traps were a bigger problem for Marines than small arms combat. Ficks touches upon various types of booby traps. Ficks mentions tanks and Ontos track vehicles were not effective in Vietnam because the terrain was unsuitable and required different strategies than World War II. Ficks describes going on patrols approximately every three days around Dong Den mountain. He estimates that one in seven patrols resulted in a confrontation with the enemy. Ficks does not remember the rules of engagement that were read to him but says Marines were always armed and would "cut loose" if fired on. Ficks characterizes communications revolving around operations as poor. He describes a friendly fire situation on a night patrol and an incident when his fighting hole was strafed by Navy planes. Ficks repeatedly states the main problem with the Vietnam War was the lack of a clearly defined goal. After thirteen months in country, he became disturbed by the rapid growth of military operations in Vietnam, illustrated by the expansion of the PX from a "fairly simple place to ... the Southeast-Asian precursor of Wal-Mart." Ficks emphasizes that Washington D.C. politicians were "clueless" and that Marines could not see a clear plan of action. Ficks reveals Marines would not complete all assigned patrols, as they kept retracing the same ground without an overarching mission. He also addresses the daily life of troops. Referencing his photographs, Ficks describes the natural beauty of Vietnam and trips to China Beach for rest and relaxation. He says that pipe-smoking was popular and that Marines made sure to set up showers and paid attention to hygiene. He discusses the cons of their new uniforms which were made from less durable material. Ficks explains PX trucks would bring supplies like beer, soda, soap, tin foods, and radios to his post. There were no problems receiving care packages and mail at the base; he tells about a Mexican Marine whose mother always sent him authentic Mexican food to share with the unit. Ficks later reveals this Marine was killed by a booby trap a few days before he was to be discharged. Ficks recalls listening to Adrian Cronauer on the AFN radio network as well as news broadcasts and music. He tells a story about Marines reacting negatively to the song "The Ballad of the Green Berets" (a big hit in the U.S. that year) by throwing their radios out the window. Ficks recalls Morley Schafer of CBS News doing a report on his unit. A group of Marines took the news crew on a staged patrol in which they burned some empty huts. Ficks is critical of the U.S. media's portrayal of the Marines. He comments that raw footage from the field in Vietnam was harder for Americans to watch than the more propagandistic World War II newsreels. Ficks states that, unlike Morely Schafer portrayed, Marines never burned down occupied homes, only abandoned houses to prevent the Viet Cong from using them as outposts. Ficks criticizes the "idiotic body count mentality" of the military. Progress in the war was measured by the number of Viet Cong killed, causing some officers to inflate their casualty reports. Ficks is also critical of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. He describes a "hearts and minds" mission north of DaNang where Marines provided medical care and tried to be friendly towards villagers. Ficks found this mission contrived. Nevertheless, he describes positive interactions with Vietnamese farmers near his post. He shows photographs of typical dwellings and bridges made from homemade boards. Ficks explains the demographics of the towns: mostly women, children, and old men. He comments that he found the Vietnamese people "amazingly self-sufficient" and was intrigued by the mixture of Catholic and Buddhist cultures. He enjoyed eating local food and preferred the charming countryside to the city. Ficks briefly discusses his participation in Operation Starlight and Operation Double Eagle. Ficks says that, while their booby traps were effective at slowing Marines, he was not impressed with the Viet Cong as an organized fighting force. He mentions that events in La Drang Valley introduced the Marines to the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) as a formidable force. Because Ficks served early in the war, he only had limited encounters with the NVA during Operation Starlight, near Chu Lai. Ficks describes his participation in some helicopter assaults in Operation Double Eagle. In general, Ficks praises his commanding officers, especially a brave Samoan platoon sergeant and Officer Woodward who would discuss Vietnam history with Ficks. He comments briefly that frequent rotation prevented unit cohesion. In 1966, Ficks was reassigned to Charleston (South Carolina) for the remainder of his four-year contract. While he did not face any hostility upon his homecoming, he noticed a "strange tension in the air." Ficks continued to grow distressed by the way the war was being pursued with bad political and military decisions and no end in sight. Ficks calls Nixon's brokered peace to end the war an "artifice." After his discharge in 1968, Ficks attended Milton College (Wisconsin) where he majored in English and History. Ficks mentions that the G.I. Bill only covered a small portion of his expenses. Ficks joined a veterans club on campus and witnessed a few protests. He reports he did not encounter real hostility from students or faculty but mentions annoyance at younger students who protested the war with "only limited knowledge of what they were so angry about." Ficks said veterans who served later were more traumatized by the Vietnam War than he was. He denies having flashbacks or lasting trauma. Ficks was briefly a member of the American Legion, and he expresses interest in attending a reunion for the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.
