John C. Sartor It was 1967 and just before his seventeenth birthday when John asked his parents if he could enlist in the US Army. He was told "I don't know, let me think about it". John must have been quite persuasive in the intervening days because on his seventeenth birthday he was in the Los Angeles Recruiting Center, raising his right hand and taking the oath of enlistment in the US. Army. He was send to Fort Ord for eight weeks of Basic training. After completing his Basic training his received his orders for Advance training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. While at Fort Rucker he completed an five week coarse in fixed wing aircraft engine repair. This was followed by a six week coarse in Turbine Helicopter rotor repair. The award of the MOS 67N20 followed. Everyone that completed the Advanced training at Fort Rucker received orders for Vietnam except John. He was not eighteen yet. The requirement then was that personnel had to be at lease eighteen years old to be ordered to Vietnam. He was then transferred to company B, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Carson Colorado. Just before his eighteenth birthday this Company was shipped out to Vietnam so John was then moved to the 238th Aerial Weapons Company at Fort Riley, Kansas.
During his service John was awarded the Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was an Expert Marksmen with the M-16 rifle and rose to the rank of Specialist 5(E-5). John and his wife now live in Oceanside California where owns and operates a Locksmith business plus works full time at Lake San Marcos Security.
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