Mark Schlageter
Sr. Vice Commander - Army

Graduated Rutgers University in 1967. Having been in the ROTC program, I was commissioned a 2LT in the US Army. Although I wanted a combat arms branch, my dad, who was a WWII vet, talked me out of it, so my military branch was the Transportation Corps.

Went to Fort Eustis,Virginia, in March of 1968 for the Transportation Officers Basic Course (TOBC), where I learned Truck Platoon Operations, Ship and Longshore operations, Air and Railroad Operations.

In May of 1968, I was ordered to Fort Rucker, Alabama, and assigned the 407th Transportation Company (Tanker Trucks) as Platoon Leader, First Platoon.  This unit’s mission was to supply fuel to aircraft in the helicopter training school.

Ordered to Vietnam in October of 1968.  Upon arrival in Vietnam I had expected to be assigned to a transportation job somewhere in the rear area.  That’s when I found out the army has a somewhat offbeat sense of humor.  Discovered that I was in a program called the non-combat arms officer substitution program.  Seems the combat arms casualties from the TET offensive earlier that year had been more than usual leading to a lot of openings in the line units.

Found myself assigned to the First Cavalry Division’s Headquarters. I vividly remember my conversation with the S1 (Admin).  It went something like this:

Me: "I’m not qualified for this assignment.”

Army: "You wearing a bar?”

Me: "Yup.”

Army: "You breathing?”

Me: "Yup.”

Army: "You’re qualified.”

I was assigned to 1St Cav’s Third Brigade Headquarters, who in turn sent me to their 2BN, Twelfth Cavalry, (2/12).  There I found a home for the rest of the year as a Service Platoon Leader in Battalion’s headquarters company.

I spent most of my time on various landing zones near the border with Cambodia in the area of Tay Ninh and Nui Ba Den – or the Back Virgin Mountain.  LZ Grant was the most notorious. Came out mostly (thankfully) intact and left Vietnam in October of 1969.  On my return to the states, I was given a transportation assignment at the New Cumberland Army Depot in Pennsylvania.  In early 1970, I was separated from service and got on with life. But I did get to tease my dad a bit about his "no combat arms speech” from earlier. He told me the army did not listen to him either!