Biography of Luther J. Upton Jr.

U.S. Marine Vietnam Veteran

Background

Luther was born on July 2, 1947 in Monroe County, Alabama and he grew up around the small town of Uriah. Luther grew up looking up to his father, who served in WWII with the Seabees. He became intrigued with the way his father, and his father's friends, who were all WWII veterans, talked about going in behind the Marine invading force during the war. Growing up listening to his father and his father's friend talk about the Marines and watching the movie called The D.I. with Jack Webb is what ultimately led Luther to choosing the Marine Corps.

Pre-Vietnam

Luther Graduated from J.U. Blacksher High School in 1965. Following graduation, he went to college at The University of Alabama. Luther said after starting school he, "was more interested in partying than I was studying and was about to flunk out after the second semester." After the semester ended, Luther went to the post office located on University Boulevard in Tuscaloosa to meet with the Marine recruiter, and he enlisted with the Marines. Luther stated that he enlisted at that time because, "I wasn't going to get drafted." The Marines had a 120 day delay program for new enlistments so, Luther went home for the summer and worked a summer job. He did not tell his parents that he had enlisted, and he had to report back to the Marines by September 12th. When it came the time for Luther to report back, he asked his mother for a ride to, "Mr. Charlie Hadley's Garage," so that he could catch the bus. Luther informed his mother upon arrival at the bus stop that he had joined the Marines, naturally, she was very upset. Young men enlisting in the Marine Corps without notifying their parents was a common theme. As John Corbett states in his book, he enlisted in the Marines and did not tell his parents until after he had already done it.

Basic Training

Luther and fellow recruits arrived at Paris Island, South Carolina at the Marine Recieving Barracks around 1:00 a.m. The drill instructor got on the bus when it pulled up and threw the first guy out onto the concrete, the rest of the young men stormed off the bus as fast as they could. Luther went through eight weeks of basic training while at Paris Island, instead of the customary twelve, because there were so many Marines being killed in Vietnam. Upon completing boot camp, Luther's MOS was to be a combat engineer and demolitions specialist. Which, in Luther's words, "is nothing but a glorified grunt." Luther was one of ten honor graduates that graduated with his platoon on November 10, 1966.

Luther's graduating class from Paris Island. Luther is on the third row from the top, eighth from the left.

After Luther completed basic training his platoon was sent to Camp Geiger, North Carolina for infantry and demolition training. Following the completion of infantry training school, Luther went to Vietnam.

Vietnam

Luther and a number of other Marines flew to Vietnam on a Continental Airlines Jet. The jet was escorted in by fighter jets, and Luther recalled seeing them and then looking down at the landscape of Vietnam and it looking like a moon surface. They landed at Da Nang on March 20, 1967. After landing the young soldiers located the Marine Liaison, where the soldiers were being separated and sent to either the First Marine Division or the Third Marine Division. Luther was selected to go to the Third Marine Division, and after waiting a day in Da Nang, The group he was with boarded a helicopter that took them to Dong Ha. This was Luther's first of many helicopter rides while in Vietnam.

Luther firing a 175mm gun in Vietnam. He is the Marine with the green top, standing nearest on the gun.

After arriving in Dong Ha their first assignment was to put in mine fields. After the mine fields were installed they ran patrols around the base. It was their job to find the "booby traps," which were found using metal detectors, in which case it was then Luther's job to dig it up. After Dong Ha Luther was sent to Cam Lo and went out on Operation Hickory on May 18, 1967. This operation lasted a couple weeks and the Marines were involved in multiple engagements with the NVA. After Operation Hickory, he spent most of the summer around Con Thien. On July 2, 1967 Luther was attached to the 9th Marines. On that same day Bravo Company One-Nine was conducting an operation just outside of Con Thien, where they were ambushed by NVA forces, and virtually wiped out. Luther went out with a relief column to recover Bravo One-Nine. The official declassified military after action report regarding the ambush on Bravo One-Nine, recorded 84 USMC KIA. At this point Luther had made up his mind he was not going to make it out of Vietnam alive. Luther believed he would not make it out alive due to the fact of seeing so much death near to him. He had no choice but to believe that his number would be called next. Luther was wounded in combat during Operation Kentucky, and spent Christmas of 1967 and New Years of 1968 recovering on the USS Sanctuary.

Luther returned to Vietnam after getting out of the hospital to the Marine base camp at Dong Ha. There was a need for volunteers to go to Khe Sanh, and Luther along with three other Marines volunteered to go. They arrived shortly before Khe Sanh was put under siege and the Tet Offensive began. Ultimately, Luther made ten combat operations and received the Purple Heart for wounds recieved in action.

Post-Vietnam

When Luther returned home, Vietnam veterans were not very popular in the eyes of the public. It was also hard for the young servicemen returning home to find jobs. There were not many places willing to hire Vietnam veterans. Luther also struggled with PTSD, after being involved in many traumatic experiences during the war. Luther clearly relates some of the difficulties he experienced with PTSD in the interview. One example is when a person asked him when he was in Vietnam, Luther responded, "about 3:30 this morning. It's just something you can't get out of your mind." This statement clearly points to how young men coming home from Vietnam had to deal with PTSD and the side effects.

Luther went back to school after coming home from the war and graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science. He found his calling in being a disc jockey and running a radio station. He still runs the local radio station in Evergreen, Alabama and is very active in veterans affairs. Luther also serves on the City Council in Evergreen, where he was able to secure funding to build a veterans monument.

Oral History Transcript HY 341 Download

Luther is pictured above (left) talking to R. Lee Ermey (right)