Oral History Interview with Anthony Thompson
Title
Oral History Interview with Anthony Thompson
Narrator (written)
Anthony Thompson
Narrator First Name
Anthony
Narrator Last Name
Thompson
Interviewer
Benjamin Gulihur
Abstract
Anthony (Tony) Thompson, Dartmouth Class of 1964, enlisted in the US Army in 1963 after taking a hiatus from college on the recommendation of his dean. He went to Vietnam to support US military advisory operations there during 1963-1964. He spent six months rotating in and out of A Loui and Tabat in the A Shau valley. During the latter part of his deployment he was attached to the decorated ARVN 1st regiment, which operated near the demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam. He witnessed the destruction of that unit in a battle in March of 1964. He earned a bronze star and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. In the interview, Thompson discusses the executions of civilians and prisoners that he witnessed in Vietnam. He also talks about criticism he faced from antiwar students after he returned to Dartmouth, and how this prompted him to move off campus. He eventually left the United States and spent several years in the more congenial environment of Australia, before returning to Vermont to work in business in the 1990s. Finally, Thompson discusses his current perspectives on the war and his disagreements with those who say that it was not worth fighting.
Date of Interview
May 6, 2023
Subject
Dartmouth Alumni
Dartmouth History
Military Service (Army)
Vietnam Veteran
Language
English
Rights
Interview Audio Source (MP3)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DDHI/histories/thompson_anthony/thompson_anthony.mp3
Interview Transcript Source (PDF)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DDHI/histories/thompson_anthony/thompson_anthony_transcript_final.pdf
HTML
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DDHI/histories/thompson_anthony/thompson_anthony_transcript_final.html