“Reunions Heal People”: A Hamburger Hill Veteran On The Importance Of Keeping In Touch

John DeWyse grew up in Michigan and was drafted in March, 1968, attending basic training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, and advanced infantry training at Ft. Polk, Louisiana. Deploying to Vietnam, he was assigned to C Company, 3-187 Infantry in the 101st Airborne Division. He started out walking point, but became the Platoon Sergeant’s Radio Telephone Operator (RTO), working for Sammy Hoskins. He was wounded on Hamburger Hill, and ended up linking up with Hoskins, in a hospital in Japan. While he was recovering from his wounds, he made sure to keep track of all the wounded Rakkasans who passed through the medical facilities. After he left the Army, he worked at Saginaw Steering Gear, but continued to keep up with buddies from the Army. In this interview, he talks about his service in the military, including the fight on Hamburger Hill. He discusses his efforts to keep track of people, and what he’s done to help Sammy Hoskins attend reunions. Finally, he describes the importance of reunions, and what his service means to him.