Stephen Dostie
"I thought that I knew a veteran when I
saw one. I thought that the only way to tell if a veteran was a veteran
was by the way they dressed: that they always wear a hat, and their
uniform with their name and many badges on it. Many of the veterans
that were in our school had on those uniforms. It is embarrassing to
say that I thought that the veterans that were not wearing their
uniforms were not veterans. I thought that only the bravest veterans
wore their uniforms. I also thought that a veteran isn't like any
regular human being. MAN! Was I wrong! Just by looking at Mr. Dostie,
you can't really tell whether or not he is a veteran. Mr. Dostie is
probably the bravest veteran that I will ever meet and he never wore
his uniform. He is like any regular person...
After Mr. Dostie graduated from Lawrence High School, he decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. His family had served in the military before and Mr. Dostie was curious on what a typical soldiers’ life would be like. His two older brothers were drafted in Vietnam so Mr. Dostie had the decision to join or not. Mr. Dostie had felt the need to enlist in the Marine Corps because he had a pretty rough life at home. He enlisted in 1968 at the age of 18. He was a ‘short-timer’ that was in Vietnam for two years.
Mr. Dostie had to train in boot camp in South Carolina for 13 weeks. When in boot camp, they never had guns to use so when they went to Vietnam, it was a little different for the soldiers. All the soldiers had to always keep their uniforms clean at all times. They had to starch their uniforms and shine their boots. A typical day was that they were to walk/run for five miles with heavy loads on their backs. They had to do a couple hundred push-ups and sit-ups and the drill sergeants showed no mercy. One time, Mr. Dostie got a sunburn so bad from resting outside on a break that one of the drill sergeants was trying to charge him for destroying government equipment which had nothing to do with Mr. Dostie. Mr. Dostie compared this to how a police officer pulls you over and gives you a speeding ticket for going over a mile over the speed limit. Besides the brutal drill sergeants, Mr. Dostie met a few good friends that he will never forget. There was a man from Gardiner that Mr. Dostie was good friends with until they were sent to Vietnam in different platoons. Mr. Dostie never saw him again.
After 13 weeks of hard training, Mr. Dostie was stationed in Cambodia to drive a truck with a machine gun or he would be the person shooting with the machine gun. Mr. Dostie also was sent on many missions to scout out roads and trails to find any sign that the North Vietnamese were there. He would sort of switch on and off. From where he was, he would often look down at his fellow soldiers and could see people getting killed. The men had their dog tags laced with their shoelaces because if they were blown up, their feet stayed attached to their body. The first battle was scary for him because he thought that at any time he could get shot but Mr. Dostie knew (and to this day still knows) that he was stopping the spread of communism. He said he would rather die for his country than dying any other way. After a few battles, Mr. Dostie got used to the deaths and killing. He always felt bad for the people he killed right after a battle.
In Cambodia and Vietnam, Mr. Dostie and his platoon walked 10 miles with extremely heavy loads on their backs. The men got C-Rations. One meal was put in a brown bag and one in a green bag. They mainly were rice and canned food. On holidays, the men got a can of turkey which, to the soldiers, was like an ice cream sundae to us.
The conditions in Vietnam and Cambodia were terrible. There were a lot of mosquitoes and they were always biting. It was particularly hard to keep still but the men had to or they would have been seen by the Vietnamese. Luckily, boot camp training taught them discipline. During monsoon season, it was extremely difficult to carry the loads because the rain caused the mud to get knee-deep or higher. For them, it was like a shower. Some men would bring soap and when it was raining, they tried washing themselves. The weather was humid and reached well over 100ºF. The jungles were very thick and the men had a tough time getting through because they were unfamiliar with the land. To remove the vegetation, the government sent a chemical to Vietnam (way before Mr. Dostie was stationed) called Agent Orange. It turned out to remove the vegetation and also caused the air to smell of heavy chemicals. Many years later, after Mr. Dostie went home, it caused many health problems to him...
Many men were scared in Vietnam. Each man was given a Geneva Convention Card that if a soldier was captured by the enemy, the enemy would not torture that person. Mr. Dostie thought of it as a joke because he knew that the North Vietnamese would torture a captured soldier anyway. The men were always on the lookout and they were always afraid. They searched for hidden traps and the men never got near a child. Some traps were under rice paddies and there were large sharp bamboo sticks sticking out from the ground that was covered with debris. The children were sent by the North Vietnamese to come over to a large platoon and a bomb (strapped to the child) would detonate. If a child wasn't wearing a shirt and wasn't wearing some heavy clothing (like a coat) the soldiers could trust them and approach. The men were all on guard day and night. At night, men took turns on the lookout for guerilla warfare. Men usually slept in tunnels and (for fear of the guerilla warfare) they slept under their 'beds'. The tunnels were infested with tiny vermin (rats, mice, and gross little furry things). There was always a fear of the North Vietnamese. The scariest thing that had happened to Mr. Dostie was that his platoon was six miles from the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and he felt that a large army of North Vietnamese would take over. No soldier ever wanted to be close to the DMZ.
Mr. Dostie counted the days he was going to go home just like many other short-timers. Some men counted the days by marking it on a large stick of bamboo. Mr. Dostie marked his on a gun. He was always missing his family. He was one of 14 children so there was a lot to miss. He was the youngest. I bet he was missing his annoying brothers and sisters! He was only allowed to write to his family once a month and he couldn't wait until he received a letter from his family. The best thing Mr. Dostie remembered was that on Christmas of 1969 Bob Hope came and did a show for all the Vietnam soldiers. Mr. Dostie never really saw Bob Hope, but he heard the show from many large speakers.
After two years of constantly fighting, Mr. Dostie was sent home. War protesters were lined up on the street where Mr. Dostie and many other soldiers marched and threw stuff at them. The protesters called them ‘Baby-Killers’ when in fact, the Vietnamese were the baby-killers. Even people who had graduated with Mr. Dostie (like his friends and peers), were calling him bad names. Mr. Dostie had a party with his family but other than that there was no other celebration. Mr. Dostie received all kinds of medals and awards but his favorites were the Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and a certificate from President Nixon. He felt really good about the certificate from President Nixon until Nixon [resigned]...
...Today, Mr. Dostie has a construction company in Clinton, Maine. Mr. Dostie hopes that someday he will rent an RV and find some of his buddies from the war and just hang out and catch up on old times.
Mr. Dostie has many thoughts about the war in Vietnam. He mentioned many times that politics had a lot to do with the Vietnam War. He thinks that the war would have ended many years before it actually did end. He also said that he was mad about how long the government was denying that Agent Orange had nothing to do with the soldiers’ health problems.
Vietnam has done a lot to Mr. Dostie. He said that it has made him very bitter because of what a horrible homecoming he had had. It has haunted him in his dreams and he is always on guard. If someone touches Mr. Dostie when he isn't expecting it, he gets aggressive like someone was trying to hurt him. Also, he has to sit with his back to the wall in a restaurant so no one will sneak up on him. Also he has had many nightmares of the war.
What I learned from Mr. Dostie is that each veterans’ story is unique. The basics are the same (were in Vietnam War, were stationed around the same area, etc.), but how each veteran describes them in his/her point of view, is what makes the story truly fascinating. For example, the way Mr. Dostie would say his story, you could actually feel like you were there. You could sort of feel him stuck in the mud the way he described it. He said how drenched he was in mud and water, that it was like lead was on his feet and legs. Also, the way he described the C-rations on the holidays was that you could sort of relate to how it would be (he said it was like an ice cream sundae for us).
Mr. Dostie had went through a lot to have this country be what it is today. He went through many sacrifices for us so we could still be a democratic republic. What I will never forget is how he said he would do it again. What has been happening now is partly hurting him (his health problems and his nightmares) but he would suffer all of that again just to help this country. He is what the true definition of what a hero is. I am truly honored that after 35 years of keeping his story in, he has come out and shared his story with my group and me. I came to school on May 17th thinking that my veteran would tell me a story about how he had saved his buddy from a near death experience. What Mr. Dostie did for us was he saved our country from a near death experience. That must be a trillion times better than saving a buddy." ~ S. Garcia
"...During this interview I learned many things. I learned that politics is a big part of warfare and that the conditions of the Vietnam War were harsh. I also learned about what [military] life was like. I also learned that the troops in Vietnam had a hard time telling who their enemy was because they were part of the Viet-Cong and looked like regular citizens. I'm likely to remember a lot of this interview but there were a couple of things mentioned that will probably stay with me the most. What Mr. Dostie said about their homecoming and their living conditions in Vietnam which were not very good. For example, they had to live in tunnels underground that they dug themselves.
I think what people have done for our country is pretty amazing. I don't think many people realize how hard war is and how much the veterans sacrificed for our country. I think this was a good and informative experience. This was a valuable experience for many reasons. First, most people don't get to do this and the veterans who shared their experiences with us don't usually talk about their service to their country but they did for us. Next, it was valuable because the people who lived through this got to tell us what it was really like and we didn't get the information second-hand. I think this was a good and valuable experience and I definitely would do it again. I'm glad that I was able to have this experience..." ~ B. Alley
"...He believes that the war definitely helped stop the spread of communism. He was asked if we asked him to fight for the country again would he do it? He answered with a strong yes because he wouldn't want one of us to fight and have to experience what he did. He believes he did what was right for his country and is very proud of it... So I would like to salute the good soldier, all soldiers for fighting what is right.
My personal reflection for this person's good deeds have served us very well to this day. I think he has done a very good thing for this country and I don't think I could [have] lived through the intense training that he had endured..." ~ B. Gerry
"...He also said a bit about the war in Iraq and about the protesters now and then. He said, 'If you don't support the war you could at least support the troops.' He also said he doesn't agree with war, but there's always a time when you've got to set a boundary line..." ~ J. Casey
After Mr. Dostie graduated from Lawrence High School, he decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. His family had served in the military before and Mr. Dostie was curious on what a typical soldiers’ life would be like. His two older brothers were drafted in Vietnam so Mr. Dostie had the decision to join or not. Mr. Dostie had felt the need to enlist in the Marine Corps because he had a pretty rough life at home. He enlisted in 1968 at the age of 18. He was a ‘short-timer’ that was in Vietnam for two years.
Mr. Dostie had to train in boot camp in South Carolina for 13 weeks. When in boot camp, they never had guns to use so when they went to Vietnam, it was a little different for the soldiers. All the soldiers had to always keep their uniforms clean at all times. They had to starch their uniforms and shine their boots. A typical day was that they were to walk/run for five miles with heavy loads on their backs. They had to do a couple hundred push-ups and sit-ups and the drill sergeants showed no mercy. One time, Mr. Dostie got a sunburn so bad from resting outside on a break that one of the drill sergeants was trying to charge him for destroying government equipment which had nothing to do with Mr. Dostie. Mr. Dostie compared this to how a police officer pulls you over and gives you a speeding ticket for going over a mile over the speed limit. Besides the brutal drill sergeants, Mr. Dostie met a few good friends that he will never forget. There was a man from Gardiner that Mr. Dostie was good friends with until they were sent to Vietnam in different platoons. Mr. Dostie never saw him again.
After 13 weeks of hard training, Mr. Dostie was stationed in Cambodia to drive a truck with a machine gun or he would be the person shooting with the machine gun. Mr. Dostie also was sent on many missions to scout out roads and trails to find any sign that the North Vietnamese were there. He would sort of switch on and off. From where he was, he would often look down at his fellow soldiers and could see people getting killed. The men had their dog tags laced with their shoelaces because if they were blown up, their feet stayed attached to their body. The first battle was scary for him because he thought that at any time he could get shot but Mr. Dostie knew (and to this day still knows) that he was stopping the spread of communism. He said he would rather die for his country than dying any other way. After a few battles, Mr. Dostie got used to the deaths and killing. He always felt bad for the people he killed right after a battle.
In Cambodia and Vietnam, Mr. Dostie and his platoon walked 10 miles with extremely heavy loads on their backs. The men got C-Rations. One meal was put in a brown bag and one in a green bag. They mainly were rice and canned food. On holidays, the men got a can of turkey which, to the soldiers, was like an ice cream sundae to us.
The conditions in Vietnam and Cambodia were terrible. There were a lot of mosquitoes and they were always biting. It was particularly hard to keep still but the men had to or they would have been seen by the Vietnamese. Luckily, boot camp training taught them discipline. During monsoon season, it was extremely difficult to carry the loads because the rain caused the mud to get knee-deep or higher. For them, it was like a shower. Some men would bring soap and when it was raining, they tried washing themselves. The weather was humid and reached well over 100ºF. The jungles were very thick and the men had a tough time getting through because they were unfamiliar with the land. To remove the vegetation, the government sent a chemical to Vietnam (way before Mr. Dostie was stationed) called Agent Orange. It turned out to remove the vegetation and also caused the air to smell of heavy chemicals. Many years later, after Mr. Dostie went home, it caused many health problems to him...
Many men were scared in Vietnam. Each man was given a Geneva Convention Card that if a soldier was captured by the enemy, the enemy would not torture that person. Mr. Dostie thought of it as a joke because he knew that the North Vietnamese would torture a captured soldier anyway. The men were always on the lookout and they were always afraid. They searched for hidden traps and the men never got near a child. Some traps were under rice paddies and there were large sharp bamboo sticks sticking out from the ground that was covered with debris. The children were sent by the North Vietnamese to come over to a large platoon and a bomb (strapped to the child) would detonate. If a child wasn't wearing a shirt and wasn't wearing some heavy clothing (like a coat) the soldiers could trust them and approach. The men were all on guard day and night. At night, men took turns on the lookout for guerilla warfare. Men usually slept in tunnels and (for fear of the guerilla warfare) they slept under their 'beds'. The tunnels were infested with tiny vermin (rats, mice, and gross little furry things). There was always a fear of the North Vietnamese. The scariest thing that had happened to Mr. Dostie was that his platoon was six miles from the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and he felt that a large army of North Vietnamese would take over. No soldier ever wanted to be close to the DMZ.
Mr. Dostie counted the days he was going to go home just like many other short-timers. Some men counted the days by marking it on a large stick of bamboo. Mr. Dostie marked his on a gun. He was always missing his family. He was one of 14 children so there was a lot to miss. He was the youngest. I bet he was missing his annoying brothers and sisters! He was only allowed to write to his family once a month and he couldn't wait until he received a letter from his family. The best thing Mr. Dostie remembered was that on Christmas of 1969 Bob Hope came and did a show for all the Vietnam soldiers. Mr. Dostie never really saw Bob Hope, but he heard the show from many large speakers.
After two years of constantly fighting, Mr. Dostie was sent home. War protesters were lined up on the street where Mr. Dostie and many other soldiers marched and threw stuff at them. The protesters called them ‘Baby-Killers’ when in fact, the Vietnamese were the baby-killers. Even people who had graduated with Mr. Dostie (like his friends and peers), were calling him bad names. Mr. Dostie had a party with his family but other than that there was no other celebration. Mr. Dostie received all kinds of medals and awards but his favorites were the Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and a certificate from President Nixon. He felt really good about the certificate from President Nixon until Nixon [resigned]...
...Today, Mr. Dostie has a construction company in Clinton, Maine. Mr. Dostie hopes that someday he will rent an RV and find some of his buddies from the war and just hang out and catch up on old times.
Mr. Dostie has many thoughts about the war in Vietnam. He mentioned many times that politics had a lot to do with the Vietnam War. He thinks that the war would have ended many years before it actually did end. He also said that he was mad about how long the government was denying that Agent Orange had nothing to do with the soldiers’ health problems.
Vietnam has done a lot to Mr. Dostie. He said that it has made him very bitter because of what a horrible homecoming he had had. It has haunted him in his dreams and he is always on guard. If someone touches Mr. Dostie when he isn't expecting it, he gets aggressive like someone was trying to hurt him. Also, he has to sit with his back to the wall in a restaurant so no one will sneak up on him. Also he has had many nightmares of the war.
What I learned from Mr. Dostie is that each veterans’ story is unique. The basics are the same (were in Vietnam War, were stationed around the same area, etc.), but how each veteran describes them in his/her point of view, is what makes the story truly fascinating. For example, the way Mr. Dostie would say his story, you could actually feel like you were there. You could sort of feel him stuck in the mud the way he described it. He said how drenched he was in mud and water, that it was like lead was on his feet and legs. Also, the way he described the C-rations on the holidays was that you could sort of relate to how it would be (he said it was like an ice cream sundae for us).
Mr. Dostie had went through a lot to have this country be what it is today. He went through many sacrifices for us so we could still be a democratic republic. What I will never forget is how he said he would do it again. What has been happening now is partly hurting him (his health problems and his nightmares) but he would suffer all of that again just to help this country. He is what the true definition of what a hero is. I am truly honored that after 35 years of keeping his story in, he has come out and shared his story with my group and me. I came to school on May 17th thinking that my veteran would tell me a story about how he had saved his buddy from a near death experience. What Mr. Dostie did for us was he saved our country from a near death experience. That must be a trillion times better than saving a buddy." ~ S. Garcia
"...During this interview I learned many things. I learned that politics is a big part of warfare and that the conditions of the Vietnam War were harsh. I also learned about what [military] life was like. I also learned that the troops in Vietnam had a hard time telling who their enemy was because they were part of the Viet-Cong and looked like regular citizens. I'm likely to remember a lot of this interview but there were a couple of things mentioned that will probably stay with me the most. What Mr. Dostie said about their homecoming and their living conditions in Vietnam which were not very good. For example, they had to live in tunnels underground that they dug themselves.
I think what people have done for our country is pretty amazing. I don't think many people realize how hard war is and how much the veterans sacrificed for our country. I think this was a good and informative experience. This was a valuable experience for many reasons. First, most people don't get to do this and the veterans who shared their experiences with us don't usually talk about their service to their country but they did for us. Next, it was valuable because the people who lived through this got to tell us what it was really like and we didn't get the information second-hand. I think this was a good and valuable experience and I definitely would do it again. I'm glad that I was able to have this experience..." ~ B. Alley
"...He believes that the war definitely helped stop the spread of communism. He was asked if we asked him to fight for the country again would he do it? He answered with a strong yes because he wouldn't want one of us to fight and have to experience what he did. He believes he did what was right for his country and is very proud of it... So I would like to salute the good soldier, all soldiers for fighting what is right.
My personal reflection for this person's good deeds have served us very well to this day. I think he has done a very good thing for this country and I don't think I could [have] lived through the intense training that he had endured..." ~ B. Gerry
"...He also said a bit about the war in Iraq and about the protesters now and then. He said, 'If you don't support the war you could at least support the troops.' He also said he doesn't agree with war, but there's always a time when you've got to set a boundary line..." ~ J. Casey