Gary Lake talks about his upbringing in Grand Junction, Colorado, his initial enlistment in the US Marine Corps, and his ultimate service in the US Army after he was drafted. He recalls his arrival in Vietnam in 1967 with the 1st Infantry Division, attached to the 3rd Marines. He expresses discontent with his role in the Vietnam War, and with the role of his country. He gives him impressions of the country of Vietnam, the people, and of enemy forces. He speaks about his exposure to Agent Orange. He talks about going to college on the G.I. Bill and transitioning to civilian life after the war. He remembers the Tet Offensive, which ocurred while he was in Vietnam. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
*Photograph from 1961 Grand Junction High School yearbook.
