Derl Horn left Springdale in 1966 to begin training in the U.S. Marine Corps, an experience that eventually took him to a difficult tour of duty in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968.
For 35 years he did not speak much about the ordeal, but after being urged by his family and by some close friends to write down his experiences, he soon had the makings of a book.
Blood, Sweat, and Honor, published in 2015, is his story, an intriguing narrative available on amazon.com.
As Veterans Day approaches, it is appropriate that we honor Horn and the many like him who have served the United States in military service.
"The constant heat and the stress of war took its toll on me," he wrote about Vietnam, "but God was my strength. I could trust Him to keep me going, knowing He would never leave me."
He survived combat, but many of his fellow Marines didn't, and even many years after the war, Horn said he had to work through the inner turmoil that came as a result of his experience.
"I really wanted to show how God sustained me," he said recently.
He also made it clear that his Christian faith was important to him during that time, and also motivated him as he wrote.
"I kept the book clean," he said, "because I wanted my kids and grandkids to be able to read it."
Horn was a couple of years older than many of the other Marines with whom he served and he already had a family to think of. (He and his wife Marilyn married before he left for Vietnam and their twin daughters Cathy and Cindy were born while he was away).
Horn said in a way it was good for him when he came home to be plunged right into the responsibilities of making a living and providing for his young family.
Many Vietnam veterans didn't come home to such a setting, but instead faced the horrific memories alone, often seeking relief from drugs or alcohol.
"The wounds of war don't go away," Horn said. "I had some trouble working through it but I was more fortunate than some others."
Even years later, as he was writing his book, Horn said it was hard.
"I would work on it a day or two," he said, "and then would have to get away from it."
Horn described in detail his experience on patrol as a part of Bravo Company near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Vietnam on July 2, 1967.
It was there that they walked into a huge ambush from the North Vietnam Army (NVA).
He wrote, "We were cut off and surrounded. The 3rd and 2nd Platoons were annihilated almost instantly.... The NVA mortars and rockets were falling all around us."
The situation looked very bleak, and the Marines still alive had to fight in retreat as they made it back to the landing zone (LZ) where helicopters could transport the wounded out of the battle area.
Horn was wounded by shrapnel and his ears were bleeding from the noise of the blasts around him. He was later awarded the Purple Heart.
The battle would be called "Operation Buffalo" and was also known as "The Marketplace Massacre of Bravo Company." Horn wrote that the Marines lost 159 lives in that battle, and had another 345 wounded.
But the entire ordeal is his story to tell, and he did so with great candor.
"I felt that God would deliver me from this war," he wrote, "but in the midst of the battle, my faith had wavered. The ambush ... had caused the death of my fellow Marines, while others sustained traumatic injuries. It was a horrendous experience. Many paid the ultimate sacrifice through blood, sweat, and honor."
Horn said when he got home he faced some resistance from people who opposed the war, but added that he is glad to see that in recent years the outlook towards war veterans has changed for the better.
"I've been thanked on many occasions," he said. "It's touching, but it's also embarrassing. I don't always know what to say, but it is appreciated."
Because of his book Horn said he has been invited to some engagements that are out of his comfort zone, such as speaking to young people in school. But he said it has been a good thing and the students have been very receptive.
"It would be great if we could avoid wars," he said, "but I don't think that's ever going to happen."
DAVID WILSON, EdD, OF SPRINGDALE, IS A WRITER, CONSULTANT AND PRESENTER, WHO GREW UP IN ARKANSAS BUT WORKED 27 YEARS IN EDUCATION IN MISSOURI. YOU MAY E-MAIL HIM AT [email protected]. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Editorial on 11/09/2016