hmTv at HMTC Podcasts Ep 463: The Fog of War and Humanity with Richard Acritelli and guest Clarence F Simpson P2 on hmTv
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The Fog of War and Humanity – Episode 463
Host: Richard Acritelli | Guest: Clarence F. Simpson (Part 2)
In Part 2 of this compelling conversation, Vietnam veteran Clarence F. Simpson continues his story with host Richard Acritelli, moving from training grounds in the United States to the moment his unit entered the war.
Clarence describes his time at Fort Lewis, Washington, where intensive infantry training prepared young soldiers for a reality they could barely imagine. Living in the rain-soaked forests of the Pacific Northwest, recruits trained constantly, learning weapons proficiency, survival skills, and discipline under the guidance of battle-tested non-commissioned officers. Friendships deepened quickly, forming a brotherhood that would carry them through the uncertainty ahead.
Soon training turned into deployment. Clarence recounts boarding an aging troop transport and spending 24 days crossing the Pacific Ocean. The long voyage, filled with card games, guard duty, and anticipation, gave soldiers time to wrestle with the realization that they were truly heading into a war zone. A brief stop in Okinawa marked the last pause before entering combat.
Arriving in South Vietnam in 1966, Clarence and his fellow infantrymen descended from their ship by rope into landing craft and came ashore at Vung Tau. Within days they were moving from staging areas to field positions, eventually establishing a base camp at a rubber plantation near Dau Tieng. There was no long adjustment period, only immediate immersion into military operations and patrol cycles that would keep them in the field for weeks at a time.
This episode bridges the gap between preparation and reality, capturing the emotional transition from training soldier to combat soldier and highlighting the courage, camaraderie, and uncertainty faced by a generation of young Americans sent far from home.