"A Vietcong soldier popped up and put an AK-47 to the back of my head and was ready to fire. So it was a tough experience and for years I've lived with that saying well this guy he basically took my bullet,” said Stracuzzi.Īs Stracuzzi looked at pictures, he recalled friends saving his life. "And the guy that took my place got killed within 10 minutes. Stracuzzi also has memories that haunt him to this day. "Rescued two soldiers in the jungle they got pinned down from snipers,” said Stracuzzi. Many memories from the war still stay with him. "Search and destroy missions, that sort of thing, air mobile operations,” said Stracuzzi. The country drafted him in 1969, and he later received two Purple Hearts, a bronze star, among other medals. ![]() Stracuzzi was a 50 caliber machine gunner in the 9th Infantry for one year. "People looked at me like I was an embarrassment or made remarks, anti-war remarks, baby killer,” said Mike Stracuzzi. Mike Stracuzzi, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, remembers how much of America responded when soldiers returned home from Vietnam. Many waited decades to get treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The war left a long-lasting impact on many veterans involved. ROWAN COUNTY - Thursday marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
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