Meeting Maj. Martin

Submitted by: Fred Miller

My name is Fred Miller, I was a pathfinder with the 147th. I went to Nam with the 101st in 65-66, the second tour, 66-67,with the 101st, the other part with the 147th. The story is how I met Major Martin.

Luis Rivera and myself were down at a bar in Vung Tau, actually we had been to quite a few bars. We wondered into this bar looking for trouble and acting up. Well these two fella's take offense to us blowing off steam and tell us to dial it down. We tell them to *f* off and that if they dont like it we'll take them outside and beat the living s--t out of them. Well, Martin jumps up and says he is a Major in the US Army. I tell him I'm a Spec 4 and I'm still going to whip his a--. He asked my name and I said its on my fatigue shirt, and then asked him if he was a f-----g idiot and couldnt read?

Well, at this time, Luis thinks we're probably going to be shot at sunrise if we're caught so we leave. A couple of weeks later Luis goes to the 147th, because a pathfinder detachment is being formed. A week later I transfer in and we go to meet the Company Commander. Luis and I are standing there, the door opens and who walks in but Major Martin! Well, I look at Luis and he says "Oh s--t!" The Major walks up, we report, Martin looks at me and says: "Miller, we've met before havent we?". I looked into his eyes and said "Yes sir, we have.", then no more.

Bob Strange talked to me a month later, he was with Martin in the bar, and said "Miller, someone must be watching over you because Martin would have put anybody else in jail!" Major Martin and I worked together alot and he never brought up the subject again.

Fred Miller