This interview was conducted for Doctor Mellon's class in oral history at California State University, San Diego. Charles Gietzen was born on April 8, 1926 in Omaha, Nebraska. He spent twenty-six years in the United States Marine Corps and retired in 1970 at the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant. At the time of the following interview, he was completing his senior year at the University, majoring in social science. In this interview, Gietzen discusses four main subject areas: 1) personal and early military background; 2) discipline problems in reference to drugs, alcohol, fragging, and racial tensions; 3) living conditions and the Vietnamese people; and 4) transition to civilian life. Specific topics in this interview include: military duties while in Vietnam; political view of Vietnam before going; racial tensions among servicemen and the steps taken by the Marine Corps to lessen this tension; prevalence of drug use in Vietnam and busting of officers and enlisted men for drug use; alcohol as a military problem; known accounts of fragging (intent to deliberately kill a superior officer); deterioration of discipline; living conditions and the privilege of rank; fixed perimeters and the use of perimeter lights; outlook on deserters and draft dodgers; civilians on Monkey Mountain; overall view of Vietnamese people; and transition to civilian life. Names mentioned during the interview include: Sam Howell and Yoyono Afualo.
