Born: Springville, New York, 1950
Served in Vietnam, U.S. Army
2nd Field Forces, 7th Artillery Unit
Specialist 4, 1969-70

From the artist:

For the past two years I have been working in my studio in Springville, New York. Springville has been my home since birth, and the primary source of the subject matter for my paintings. I began painting at eight years of age. I am basically self-taught.

On my nineteenth birthday, February 21, 1969, I received my draft notice. I took my basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and was then sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for artillery training. While at Fort Sill, I received orders for Vietnam, After ten days leave, I arrived in Oakland, California, where I debarked on September 2, 1969 for Vietnam. My plane landed in Long Bien, where I received orders to report to the 2nd Field Forces, 7th of the 8th Artillery Unit. This unit supported the South Vietnamese, Thailand, Korean, Australian and American armies. The infantry was located at Blackhorse, in the Third Corp area. My job was to drive a 2 1/2 ton truck carrying 55 gallon drums of gasoline from Bien Hoa to Blackhorse in Suan Loc. I also carried mail, gas and supplies through the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh Trail and Highway 1-A. In the summer of 1970, we invaded Cambodia, we were the first artillery unit to enter Cambodia. Our unit progressed at the rate of 30 miles in two months. During this time, I took my R&R in Australia. One morning at 10:00 our firing battery was blown up by a mortar round hitting some fuse pro-jos. We were then sent back to Blackhorse to re-group. Having returned to the place where I began, 13 months later, my tour of duty ended on October 1, 1970.