Vietnam Vet shares affect the war had on his life
PORT CLINTON - When Vietnam War veteran Tom Evans was sent overseas to serve, he had a young wife, a 3-month-old son, some college language training, and a deep love for America. When he returned, he had a wife weary from worry, a toddler son, military interrogation training, and a deep love for America.
He also had, he said, a stronger faith in God and a more acute confidence to face whatever life would throw at him.
Tom was drafted in 1968 and served in Vietnam from January 1969 to January 1970. Because his wife was expecting their first child, his draft notice came as a surprise.
“The draft board told me they would put me at the bottom of the list, but they needed people,” he said. “It was an honor to have the opportunity to serve the best country in the world.”
Evans' language skills led him to be an interrogator
Because Tom had taken a few language courses in college, he was trained as an interrogator. He still remembers bits of the language, and his mouth can still form the harsh, staccato tones of the Vietnamese dialect.
He served with a military intelligence unit of 21 interrogators assigned directly to II Corps central command, which was responsible for approximately one-third of Vietnam. Because of local dialect variations, interpreter Le Hihn worked alongside Evans. Evans’ unit was stationed in the vicinity of 101st Airborne operations.
“If they got into a lot of skirmishes and took prisoners, I would go in and interrogate them,” Tom said. “I would take a Huey in, and, often, the pilot wouldn’t touch the ground. I would have to jump.”
'There are no pagans in a foxhole'
Tom said his faith grew in the jungles of Vietnam. The war solidified his belief in God and his appreciation of life, freedom and family.
“I was religious before I went, but there are no pagans in a foxhole,” he said.
Although the American soldiers daily faced the dangers of war in a foreign country, Tom said the most difficult aspect of serving in Vietnam was being away from his family.
“The letters took weeks to reach us, and when they came, I would read about what I was missing. My son took his first steps, and I missed it. He learned to say mama, but there was no dada there,” Tom said. “I’m strong on family. The hardest part was being away from them. When you’re half a world away, you think of your hometown and all the people you left behind.”
Back at home, Tom’s wife, Lois, was also struggling. She and her young son moved back and forth between her parent’s home on Rattlesnake Island and her in-law’s home on the mainland. She was thankful for strong family support while she faced an unknown future.
Staying at home was also difficult for Evans' wife
“We served, too,” Lois said, referring to the wives left at home. “I had to stop watching the news, because I knew where he was.”
After he returned home to Port Clinton, Tom founded Masonry Construction. He was still in his twenties and had a family to support, but fighting in a war gave him the confidence to forge ahead despite the unpredictable obstacles of starting a business.
Masonry Construction celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
“There’s a confidence you have after the war,” Tom said. “Owning a business that long, you run into a lot of trying experiences, especially when you’re broke when you’re first starting. When adversity would happen, I would think, ‘What are they going to do, send me to Vietnam?’”
Vietnam was a paradox for Tom. He had moments of fear and loneliness and yet came home with a steady confidence toward life and a greater appreciation for the gift of family.
“My time in Vietnam was both the most adventurous, exhilarating, exciting time of my life, but also the hardest, saddest, loneliest, most mosquito-infested time of my life,” he said.
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Vietnam Veteran shares hurdles of war, triumphs after coming home
