I mentioned elsewhere in the web site that five of us became very close friends... referring to ourselves as 'the family'.  Within four months after graduation from Special Forces Training Group, all of "the family" had received orders for Viet Nam... except Phil.  The reason for this was very simple.

All of the 'family' members had enlisted for the service except Phil.  Richard (Rick) Bennet, Bill Howe, Gerry Sachs and I all had signed up for a three-year term.  Phil, on the other hand, had "volunteered for the draft".  Until I met Phil, I didn't know you could do that.  When you were drafted, you entered the service with no specified duty.  This meant you were assigned to the training/specialty that the Army needed at the time.  Such was Phil's case.  The recruiter told me that you couldn't get 'what YOU wanted' if you were drafted.  So I, like the others, enlisted.

But I also found out that you could NOT enlist for Special Forces.  Why not, you ask?  Because, as I was told, you had to be a three-time volunteer.  You had to volunteer for the Army (meaning enlist), volunteer for airborne service ('jump school'), and then volunteer for (AND pass the test for) Special Forces.  Since the Army could not guarantee that you could/would complete the airborne school or the Special Forces test/training, it would not guarantee a Special Forces assignment.  I decided to roll the dice and enlist with no specified duty -- the same as being drafted but with a three-year obligation.

While in AIT (Advanced Infantry Training) a Green Beret sergeant visited the class -- he was recruiting for Special Forces.   Those who were interested signed up to take the SF test.  And (although we didn't know each other yet) Phil, Rick, Gerry, Bill, and myself all volunteered for jump school when we were in AIT.  These separate actions would eventually bring the five of us together at Special Forces Training Group.

Special Forces training was long and difficult.  By the time we graduated, we had about 18 months left on our enlistment.   All of us except Phil, that is!  Because he was drafted for two years, Phil had less than a year remaining in the service.  Slowly, each of the 'family' members was put on orders for Viet Nam.  Rick and Bill would be the first to go.  In June 1966 I received my orders.  Only Phil was left.  He had seen all of the others (his 'family') be called for RVN duty.  He would have no peace knowing he was state-side while we were slogging through the rice paddies.  Phil went in to talk to the Personnel Section.  He wanted to go to Viet Nam.

The Personnel Staff explained to Phil that he could not be placed on orders for a one-year tour in RVN when he had less than one year remaining in his active service obligation.  However, if Phill agreed to extend his service obligation, they could (and would) have him on orders for Viet Nam immediately.  Would Phil extend?

Phil wrestled with this decision for a couple days.  He knew that many SF'ers were being wounded or killed in RVN.  It was the nature of our assignments and duty.  Still, he just couldn't let the rest of us fight without him!  So... after a couple days... Phil went back to Personnel and agreed to extend.  The sergeant completed the paperwork, Phil signed the forms, and the sergeant got up to go call Mrs. Alexander using the phone in the next room.   Since his part was done, Phil got up to leave.  In typical SF, 'ballsy' fashion he reached across the desk.. grabbed the papers he had signed in front of the sergeant.. and simply tore them up!

Within a couple months Phil found himself assigned to A-342 in III Corps.  He had done what he knew he needed to do.  He had gone to RVN like the rest of the 'family'.  After six months duty in RVN, Personnel realized that Phil's active service obligation was rapidly nearing an end and shipped him back to the states to ETS. 

Going to RVN for SF duty (even for only six months in the mid 60's) could easily get you killed or wounded.  But Phil was a team player... a 'family' player.  His loyalty to SF and his friends would not let him sleep at night until he had made at least some level of sacrifice.  His 'sign-up-and-then-destroy-the-evidence' move was as Special Forces as you can get.   There are NO survivors from a GOOD ambush!!