Michael Teutschman

My father, Michael D. Teutschman, enlisted in the Army on August 23, 1966. He had quit college and was working at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach when his best friend Rusty Sanford was drafted. With his motorcyle and beach buddy gone and a job he hated, my dad decided to enlist.

He went to basic training at Fort Ord in Northern California and then made his way to Fort Gordon in Georgia for infantry school. After 8 weeks at Fort Gordon, he was off to Airborne school at Fort Benning, also in Georgia.

Dad then headed to Fort Hood, Texas, to join a new pathfinder unit that was forming for further assignment to Vietnam. He was in Texas for about 2 and 1/2 months before he was sent to Fort Benning again for a 5 week pathfinder school. After that training was completed, Dad was able to go home for 10 days, and then went back to Fort Hood for about three days. He then flew to Vietnam.

About 26 hours later they arrived at CamRahn Bay, Vietnam. It was May 4, 1967.

A few days later they flew to their new home in Phu Hiep. It was on the coast in II corp (also called the central lowlands). They supported the ROK's (Republic of Korea) army and marine units in the central highlands. Dad was in a Pathfinder Detachment assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade. Also, in January of 1968 during the '68 TET Offensive, he was flying as a doorgunner with the 129th Assault Helicopter Company out of AnSon (still the central highlands).

During his year in Nam, they lost 2 of 15 guys. The first one was Doug Noel, who was killed July 31/August 1, 1967 when his helicopter collided with another ship on a night mission near TuyHoa.

The second was Jerry Elliott, who is MIA. Although there is still no word on what happened to him, he was lost on January 21, 1968 on a mission not too far from KheSahn. Dad was able to meet Jerry's sister, Donna, who he still keeps in touch with. (Note: In 1976, Jerry's status was changed from MIA to KIA with no supporting evidence. Donna is still fighting the change of status to this day.)

My father was able to leave Vietnam unharmed on April 26, 1968. After a thirty day leave, he was assigned to a pathfinder unit in Fort Benning for about a year until his discharge in June, 1969.

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