Timothy A. Boone's interview for the Veterans History Project at Atlanta History Center

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Catalog number: VIS 201.0792
In this interview, Tim Boone recalls his experiences serving in the United States Army Special Forces in the Vietnam War. He recalls his growing up years and family members who served in the military, his education, and early experiences acting in several theatre groups in California. He enlisted in the Army, applied for Officer Candidate School, and a friend convinced him to ask for assignment in Special Forces. His first team included a number of World War II veterans from whom he learned a great deal. His unit deployed to Thailand in 1967 to train Thai special forces. He recalls his first combat experience, the advice he then received from his sergeant major, and rendering first aid to a Vietnamese schoolteacher who was seriously wounded in the attack. He describes several missions to recover downed pilots in Laos. He comments on how excellent the Thai special forces were and the superior intelligence they received. He describes "sniffer missions" and missions they undertook to spray the herbicide Agent Orange over the terrain. He recalls a mission to evacuate two seriously wounded men in which he was wounded and the helicopter in which he was riding was badly hit and crash landed at the nearest hospital facility. He describes his work with a Mobile Strike Force and recalls an incident in which he was relieved of command for disobeying orders to send a team through an area well known for enemy mines and describes the casualties they experienced when the commanding officer routed the team through the area anyway. He remembers seeing entertainers Martha Raye and Bob Hope and describes Raye's work helping wounded soldiers in an aid station. He describes his post-Vietnam tours working with then-Colonel Hal Moore developing the Army's Organizational Effectiveness School.