Page 59 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

STEVEN A. GUCKENHEIMER
HIGHLAND SPRINGS RESIDENT, ARMY
My two year stint in the US Army Signal Corp started as a 2nd Lieutenant from October 1965 to October 1967 and played out as follows:
My first assignment was teaching hand to hand combat at the Signal Corp’s Officers Candidate School (OCS) located in Fort Gordon, GA just outside Augusta, GA. Two very memorable happenings took place there; (1) I met and fell in love with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and (2) I attend my first Master’s Tournament.
My next assignment took me to Vietnam where I landed in the middle of the night at the Tan Son Nhut airbase outside of Saigon in a rain storm. I was assigned to the 1st Logistical Command Headquarters in downtown Saigon. I started as the assistant officer in charge of encrypted communications for III & IV cores. The officer in charge rotated back to the states two months later. I took over his duties. I served there a total of six months. The highlight of my stay in Saigon was meeting the Chaplin, who was ministering to Command Headquarters troops. He introduced me to a missionary family. Through them, I was able to teach English to the Vietnamese at a local church after duty hours. It was satisfying because I learned a lot more about their culture than I would have otherwise.
Leaving Saigon was hard because of my off duty endeavors. However, in Long Binh, the 3rd Ordinance Battalion needed a Signal Corp officer. In 1967 it was the largest ammo dump in the world. Their perimeter communication system was a priority. I served there my remaining six months. After one year to the day “in country” I left for home from the Bien Hoa Air Base by way of San Francisco, CA.
I was discharged with the rank of Captain. I remember my experiences in Vietnam as some of the most rewarding days of my life.
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