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Remembering Vietnam
When you were in the Vietnam War, what was your relationship like with the civilians and people who lived there?
I like the Vietnamese. They were honorable people caught in a horrible situation.
It’s a civil war. And you know, civil wars never turn out well for anybody. I mean, it’s brother fighting brother. And there was no clear cut lines or anything like that. And you know, everyday, there would be a different group there. Who do you pledge your allegiance to when you’re like ‘oh you’re with those guys…oh sorry, we’re going to have to kill you… It was just very confusing. You know, Vietnam is a beautiful place.
Do you have any advice for the millennial generation regarding the military or service?
You know, I think…I think it is a valuable tool towards developing yourself as a person. And I think it’s a decent career. But even if you just had a short term with it, it teaches you some very valuable lessons about discipline and honor. I mean, honor is a word that I hardly ever hear anymore. And it’s something that is truly stressed in the military and it’s something that I feel very strongly about.
All I hear is that winning is everything. “Do whatever it takes to win.” It’s not a matter of where is your bond or anything like that. People feel that they can cheat. People just don’t have that sense of honor…integrity. And that’s an important thing in the military, particularly if you are an officer. They just drill that into you. So…I mean, I think that’s a good thing. But it’s what you make of it. Some people- it damaged irreparably. Other people rose to the occasion. It’s like anything: it’s what you make of it. It’s like college… some people are going to be digging ditches and some people will become CEOs.
What do you think was the biggest lesson learned from the Vietnam conflict for the U.S? And for you?
I would like to think that there was a lesson learned, but based on our history for the last fifty years, I don’t think there is a lesson learned at all. You know, the old saying is if generals had to fight wars, there would peace all the time. Generals and politicians create the problems and then they send the young guys out to fight the war. You know, and unfortunately, young guys are dumb as shit- just like I was- and they are only too happy to go and do it. But they suffer the consequences. There are some soaring moments of jubilation and pride and stuff that can come from those circumstances. But the other side of it can be a very black place…really difficult.
You were asking me before about good experiences and bad experiences and uh… Personally, I felt I made a difference because I know that I saved people’s lives. There is nothing more gratifying than to go land in some hot LZ with a bunch of scared as hell grunts jump in, some of them wounded and stuff and pull them out of there. I knew they appreciated it. They were pretty happy about it. On the other hand, I even hesitate to do this because it’s nightmarish. One of the lasting memories I have of Vietnam was flying and my co-pilot got shot and he was… We took him to the evacuation hospital to drop him off. And I went back to visit him the next day and… it was a general hospital so it wasn’t just GIs there, there were civilians there. And there was a baby there that a nurse was holding that had been caught up in a napalm strike. And the baby didn’t have a face…just had a mouth. I can’t get that image out of mind. I was like, “How is this person going to live? What is their life going to be like? And why?” They don’t even know why. They don’t have a clue and there are a lot of victims like that, a lot of people that come through the war. Even sometimes maybe it’s not the physical scars that you have, but the mental ones. That’s what PTSD is.
It’s a huge undertaking. I’m sure you have heard your dad say the same thing. I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything in the world, but I don’t think I would want to go and do them over again.
Do you regret anything? Would you have done anything different?
You know, I don’t think I would have. I got out of there in one piece. I felt that I did some good. I know I saved lives. I know I took lives. I was a soldier. And that’s what I was doing. That’s what my job was. Um…No, I don’t think I would have changed anything.
Object Description
| Profile of | Tom Lynch |
| Title | Falling Out Of Love With Your Country |
| Profile bio | Upon meeting Tom Lynch, one would never think that he had seen the most brutal bloodshed and destruction. He smiles as he offers us coffee cake in his cozy living room in Indio Valley. Adorned with Asian inspired art and memorabilia, his home is embodied by Asian influences, subtle reminders of the culture that he fell in love with and spent seven years living in after the war. Tom Lynch served in the Vietnam War in 1968 and 1969 as an American helicopter pilot. Originally, he joined for a reason that many reckless boys his age did: adventure. He laughs as he describes the more politically correct responses to the question of why one joins the war. But he admits that his involvement wasn’t for God nor was it for a deep sense of patriotism. In hopes of finding something exciting, he dropped out of college as a sophomore and enlisted. It was as simple as that. But soon, Lynch would discover that his experience would be far more complex and dark than his expectations. Lynch was in the army for four years in which he completed a full one-year tour of Vietnam. During the war, Lynch’s perspective of life, society, and himself altered deeply. Admittedly, he was never under the misapprehension that he was fighting to save the country; however, he delves into how youth inhibited one from understanding the immense power that was in a soldier’s hands. After all, Lynch turned 21 in Vietnam…with a machine gun in hand. Lynch would drive through the bases at the end of the day and pick up the dead. He reminisces about the casualties and the sight of a child’s burned face, an image that will forever haunt him. He reminisces about the comrades that went on to be successful and the ones that got shattered irreparably by the war. But that’s another story. Lynch has a deep appreciation for war, but admits Vietnam is where he fell out of love with his country. After the war, Lynch lived outside of the country for ten years. |
| Profiler bio | Arianna Allen and Gabby Franklin are students at the University of Southern California. Arianna studies English (Pre-Law) with a minor in International Relations. Gabby studies Business Administration. |
| Subject |
American Helicopters Profile |
| Profiled by | Franklin, Gabby; Allen, Arianna |
| Profile date | 2016-02-28 |
| Geographic subject (city or populated place) | Indio |
| Geographic subject (county) | Riverside |
| Geographic subject (state) | California; New York; Alaska |
| Geographic subject (country) | USA; Cambodia; Laos |
| Coverage date | 1968; 1969 |
| Publisher (of the original version) | http://anotherwarmemorial.com/tom-lynch/ |
| Type |
images video |
| Format | 1 image; 3 video files (99:18;12); 3 transcripts |
| Language | English |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Part of collection | An Other War Memorial -- Memories of the American War in Viet Nam |
| Filename | lynchtom |
Description
| Profile of | Tom Lynch |
| Title | Remembering Vietnam |
| Format | 1 transcript, 2p. |
| Filename | lynchtom-vid3_tr3.pdf |
| Full text | Remembering Vietnam When you were in the Vietnam War, what was your relationship like with the civilians and people who lived there? I like the Vietnamese. They were honorable people caught in a horrible situation. It’s a civil war. And you know, civil wars never turn out well for anybody. I mean, it’s brother fighting brother. And there was no clear cut lines or anything like that. And you know, everyday, there would be a different group there. Who do you pledge your allegiance to when you’re like ‘oh you’re with those guys…oh sorry, we’re going to have to kill you… It was just very confusing. You know, Vietnam is a beautiful place. Do you have any advice for the millennial generation regarding the military or service? You know, I think…I think it is a valuable tool towards developing yourself as a person. And I think it’s a decent career. But even if you just had a short term with it, it teaches you some very valuable lessons about discipline and honor. I mean, honor is a word that I hardly ever hear anymore. And it’s something that is truly stressed in the military and it’s something that I feel very strongly about. All I hear is that winning is everything. “Do whatever it takes to win.” It’s not a matter of where is your bond or anything like that. People feel that they can cheat. People just don’t have that sense of honor…integrity. And that’s an important thing in the military, particularly if you are an officer. They just drill that into you. So…I mean, I think that’s a good thing. But it’s what you make of it. Some people- it damaged irreparably. Other people rose to the occasion. It’s like anything: it’s what you make of it. It’s like college… some people are going to be digging ditches and some people will become CEOs. What do you think was the biggest lesson learned from the Vietnam conflict for the U.S? And for you? I would like to think that there was a lesson learned, but based on our history for the last fifty years, I don’t think there is a lesson learned at all. You know, the old saying is if generals had to fight wars, there would peace all the time. Generals and politicians create the problems and then they send the young guys out to fight the war. You know, and unfortunately, young guys are dumb as shit- just like I was- and they are only too happy to go and do it. But they suffer the consequences. There are some soaring moments of jubilation and pride and stuff that can come from those circumstances. But the other side of it can be a very black place…really difficult. You were asking me before about good experiences and bad experiences and uh… Personally, I felt I made a difference because I know that I saved people’s lives. There is nothing more gratifying than to go land in some hot LZ with a bunch of scared as hell grunts jump in, some of them wounded and stuff and pull them out of there. I knew they appreciated it. They were pretty happy about it. On the other hand, I even hesitate to do this because it’s nightmarish. One of the lasting memories I have of Vietnam was flying and my co-pilot got shot and he was… We took him to the evacuation hospital to drop him off. And I went back to visit him the next day and… it was a general hospital so it wasn’t just GIs there, there were civilians there. And there was a baby there that a nurse was holding that had been caught up in a napalm strike. And the baby didn’t have a face…just had a mouth. I can’t get that image out of mind. I was like, “How is this person going to live? What is their life going to be like? And why?” They don’t even know why. They don’t have a clue and there are a lot of victims like that, a lot of people that come through the war. Even sometimes maybe it’s not the physical scars that you have, but the mental ones. That’s what PTSD is. It’s a huge undertaking. I’m sure you have heard your dad say the same thing. I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything in the world, but I don’t think I would want to go and do them over again. Do you regret anything? Would you have done anything different? You know, I don’t think I would have. I got out of there in one piece. I felt that I did some good. I know I saved lives. I know I took lives. I was a soldier. And that’s what I was doing. That’s what my job was. Um…No, I don’t think I would have changed anything. |
| Archival file | Volume3/lynchtom-vid3_tr3.pdf |
