"I came into a compound and everybody was bandaged…and I'm going, What kind of meat grinder have I dropped myself into?" (Video Interview, Part I - 15:33)

James Andrew Sawvell

James A. Sawvell standing in front of tank damaged by a land mine. War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Army Unit: 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division; Company B, 4th Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment Service Location: Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Hood, Texas; Cu Chi, Vietnam Rank: Sergeant, E-5 Place of Birth: WA

When James Sawvell enlisted in the Army, he thought volunteering would give him the opportunity to serve somewhere other than Vietnam. But it was 1968, the height of U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia, and Sawvell's leadership skills were badly needed. Once he was in the field as a platoon sergeant, he didn't back down from danger, and he lost a portion of his hearing when his tank hit two land mines. Sawvell's turnaround was complete by the end of his tour, when he attempted to extend it. He offers vivid and detailed accounts of life on patrol in the jungle.