Bruce Parry Transcript.pdf

Bruce Parry, Captain US Army

As recipient of the Silver Star for Valor to activist in the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Bruce Parry's life shows the dynamic thinking of a serious citizen.

Parry was born in New Jersey, the son of a World War II veteran. His father’s war time experience sparked his interest in all things military. Later, his father’s undiagnosed PTSD became an underlying reason for Parry to leave home to board and study at a military school. In 1964, he was accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He remains grateful for a well-rounded education there. His studies focused on math, physics, and Russian Area Studies. He also has fond memories of his summer training with the 101st Airborne Division. That experience prompted him to become Airborne qualified.

Following graduation, he was commissioned into the Army infantry. After the Infantry Officers Basic Course, he completed Ranger School. Ranger School puts the rangers under severe stress from lack of sleep to difficult assignments to rigorous physical demands performed in harsh environments. It trains the rangers in long-range patrolling and conducting raids and other such missions. From there, Parry served as a mortar platoon leader in the 4th/30th Infantry battalion at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. During his six months there, he was sent to Jungle Warfare School in Panama. He also got married during his time at Fort Sill.

Parry arrived in Vietnam in July 1969. He had volunteered for the 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile]. The 1st Cav utilized helicopter mobility to move its troops into combat. Parry was assigned to the 1st/8th Cavalry, an infantry battalion of the Division. His first assignment was as an infantry platoon leader with A Company. The company patrolled the jungle area in the III Corps Area of Operations in search and clear operations, seeking out the enemy. During this period, he was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge. The companies would rotate onto the battalion firebase, which was a semi-permanent base with artillery and landing pads for helicopters. Companies would spend three weeks in the field and then a week on the firebase. When it was time for a combat assault, the platoon leader was responsible for ensuring the helicopters were loaded properly with the men and equipment so that they could be deployed for combat when touching down.

In retrospect, Parry believes that the soldiers were poorly trained in infantry operations. On one occasion, he had to even train his soldiers in the deployment of claymore mines, a daily operation that they should have been expert at already. Training and teaching skills may have been the answer to low morale. Parry blames the higher-ranking officers for not ensuring that the troops had sufficient training. In one firefight, Parry noticed that the men were jammed up together. While under fire, he re-positioned the men into a proper defensive perimeter. For this, he was awarded the Silver Star for valor under fire. After two and a half months, Parry was made the executive officer of D Company in the battalion rear area. As an administrator, he recognized that there was a “race war” going on within the battalion. When a new battalion commander came in, that was rapidly resolved. That experience was an important realization. After two months, Parry volunteered to go back out to the field, in part because he realized that experience would better serve his career aspirations. He was assigned as a platoon leader to B Company. For directing a platoon firefight, Parry was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Valor.

After three and a half months, Parry was assigned as the Battalion Air Operations Officer in the battalion Tactical Operations Center [TOC] on the firebase. In this job, he organized combat assaults for all the companies. This required the requisitioning of helicopters, the timing and direction of the combat assault to keep the helicopters out of the line of fire of the tube artillery, and the deployment of the helicopter gunships as the combat assault touched down to drop off troops. During this period, the firebase came under attack. Men in the TOC were wounded. Under fire, Parry went from the TOC to the battalion aide station to alert the doctor. For this, he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor.

Parry figured that if he returned to the U.S. after one year in Vietnam, he would be sent back for another tour. He, therefore, chose to extend his tour for six months. This turned out to be an accurate assessment and a good decision. He was assigned as the D Company commander. He held this position for about five months. Next, he was assigned as the battalion supply officer in the battalion rear. After just a few weeks, orders came down to send the battalion back to the U.S. His boss, the battalion executive officer asked him to extend his commitment again so he wouldn’t have to train a new supply officer during a major operation like sending the battalion home. Parry extended for another three months. As battalion supply officer, Parry was responsible for taking inventory of all the equipment of the battalion and turning it in. Those included weapons, radios, vehicles, and more.

Parry returned home in March 1971 and was assigned as a Company Commander of D Company, 1st/58th Infantry in the 197th Infantry Brigade at Ft. Benning, Georgia. During that assignment, Parry’s company led the training in the Dragon Weapons System. He also had the Army’s first VOLAR [Volunteer Army] platoon for training. In addition, his primary mission was school support for the U.S. Army Infantry Center [USAIC] school at Fort Benning, Georgia. Parry was next assigned as the Personnel and Administration Officer of the USAIC Aviation Command which ran the airfield at Fort Benning. This was a rewarding and fun experience. After one year, he began the Infantry Officers Advanced Course. Parry was the Distinguished Honor Graduate from this nine-month course but refused an assignment on recruiting duty and resigned from the Army.

Parry also describes his fascinating journey as a civilian, its peaks, and valleys. It was only after he reached rock bottom in Chicago that he sought therapy for trauma and alcoholism. Parry now benefits from a rewarding family life and continues to be active in the social arena. In his continuing research, he seeks solutions to the social issues that America is trying to come to grips with today.