Rich Ptak, a Sun City resident, begins his story in the city.
“I lived in the city of Chicago. I never went camping. I never went hunting. I never went fishing. Then I was sent to Vietnam, where I lived outside for eight months,” he said.
Ptak’s best friend got drafted, so he decided to enlist.
“I enlisted in the Navy. I also had never learned how to swim. It was a four-year commitment with one year at sea,” he said.
Ptak originally had aspirations of becoming a pharmacist in high school. During the Vietnam War, Navy corpsmen received training at the U.S. Naval Hospital Corps School in San Diego, California. After graduating, they went to field training at Camp Pendleton before being deployed to South Vietnam. Ptak attended the training.
“After graduating, we were advised that we were all being drafted into the Marines to serve as combat medics,” he said.
Ptak was sent to Khe Sanh, Vietnam, in 1968. Marines were sent there to reinforce the base during the Tet Offensive and the Siege of Khe Sanh to prevent the enemy from seizing the airstrip. The Tet Offensive was a series of attacks by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces that began on January 31, 1968.
Ptak said, “I reported one day late to spend one more day with three other guys from boot camp and corpsman school. That was the last time I had seen two of them. They were killed.”
The next day, Ptak was to travel by helicopter to his platoon at hill 558, in the valley at the bottom. The helicopters were prime targets.
“As it turned out, I was supposed to be on a helicopter with a priest the day before,” he said. “I was told when I got aboard, the helicopter was shot down, and everyone was killed. That’s when I realized I was really in the war.”
On arrival, Ptak said, “First, we were told to dig your own grave to sleep in at night. It was six feet by 2 feet by 18 inches. We were always reassured that the Marines would never leave anyone behind, whether you were alive, wounded or dead,”
The Veterans’ Club has a window display by the multi-purpose room. That display includes a book that Ptak has written on his military experience — a stack of letters representing his support system, letters from mom.
“My mom broke a federal law once by sending me a care package. The Marines provided me with a 45-caliber pistol. If I could have shot the target, I would have gotten a rifle like other Marines. But I had never shot a gun so I missed the target. With the gun, I received only six rounds of ammunition. I was told to save one round for myself. I wrote home to my mother asking her to purchase and send me fifty rounds of .45 ammo, a shoulder holster, clips, and a bowie knife,” he said.
Ptak’s mom did send a care package for his 21st birthday.
“When the guys gathered around to share in the goodies from home, they were surprised to see the ammunition boxes along with the other requested items,” he said. “They had fun teasing me after that. They knew I was from Chicago and called me Peter Gunn.”
Ptak’s unit moved from Khe Sanh to Con Thien on continuous search and destroy missions.
“We were on patrol daily and on ambush at night,” he said.
Ptak was awarded the Purple Heart. “A rocket hit the entrance to our bunker in Con Thien. It blew apart the 12 x 12 beams, and the splintered wood hit my right knee. To this day, I still have discoloration on my knee.”
Ptak was never able to take any rest and recreation during his tour.
“Finally, reinforcements had arrived, and I was sent to Okinawa and offered a transfer to Iwakuni, Japan. I stayed there for four months,” he said.
Ptak did save one Marine’s life.
“A Marine ran into our bunker screaming that the other Marine in their bunker stopped breathing and fell to the ground,” he said. “I ran to the bunker and gave the Marine CPR until he regained his breathing.”
Ptak spent the last of his tour in Jacksonville, Florida.
“Coming home, as many military personnel, we were told we would not receive a warm welcome. I flew home on TWA, and even on the plane, I was told I would not get a meal. I was in the middle seat, and while the passengers on either side of me got meals, I was told that my flight was at a reduced rate and that I was not entitled to a meal. Neither passenger offered me anything,” Ptak said.
Now, Ptak belongs to the Sun City Veterans Charter Club and is grateful for the support he receives now, especially from the spin-off group of Veterans who have served in Combat.
