James Bohil

U.S. Navy •1965-1969 •Vietnam Era
BT3

Their Story

I lost my father this year so I wanted to share some of his story.
You can take the farmer off the field, but a farmer he will forever be. He was drafted into the Vietnam War. Being the pragmatist that farmers are, my dad found a way to delay his draft by enlisting in the Navy. This gave him an extra few months to get the crops out before going to Great Lakes. Although responsibility may have been foist upon you, and I had no choice but to learn, I do thank you for that Dad.

“There are too many. The most ironic, my Dad was a sailor who couldn't swim!
The shellback stories and how many times my Dad crossed the equator are something I will never forget. The stories of Da Nang and Vung Tau, carrying hundreds of pounds up a ladder, superheated steam that could cut through a broom handle, telling off a superior because he "only" had 400 and some days left. I wish I could remember more of what you told me it was like on the ship Dad.”