Interview with Gary Ward, June 21, 2018

Interview Summary

This is an interview with Vietnam War veteran Gary Ward who served as a combat tracker in the Army. Ward talks about growing up in Harlan County, Kentucky and discusses his father, a WWI veteran, who worked in the mines and died from black lung in the 1950s. Ward talks about his decision to enlist in the Army as a career in 1962 and his time in Korea and Germany, as well as his deployment to Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division. While there, he volunteered for combat tracker school and was trained by British troops in Malaysia. He worked with a small team and Labrador Retrievers to track the enemy. He discusses these missions and also talks about the firefight that left him badly injured, his subsequent recuperation at Walter Reed Hospital, and his attendance at a GI Bill ceremony with President Lyndon Johnson. He also reflects on his life after the war and on the war itself.

Interview Keyword

Harlan County, Kentucky Stamping Ground, Kentucky Scott County, Kentucky Coal mining Korea Vietnam War Cold War 25th Infantry Division 9th Infantry Division 5th Cavalry Combat trackers Dogs Malaysia Firefights Walter Reed Hospital Lyndon B. Johnson Purple Heart Harlan County (Ky.) Labrador retrievers Bearcat Base (Vietnam) Fort Knox (Ky.) 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division Viet Cong

Interview LC Subject

United States. Army Vietnam War, 1961-1975 United States. Army. Infantry Division, 25th United States. Army, Vietnam Dogs--War use

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.