Well! There is a website for the unit that has my greatest memories of my military experience.  I was not drafted, but chose to enlist.  This was toward the end of the Vietnam era.
  
I enlisted in January of '74, went to basic at Ft. Polk, AIT at Ft. Ord, then on to the 25th.  I was assigned to HHB 1/8 FA as a wire rat.  I recall field training at McCarthy flats, Puhakaloa (spelling apologies included) and other scenic wonderlands.  I reenlisted and left the unit in the Autumn of '77.

My timing with the unit came as the Army was going all "VOLAR".  This did create an interesting combination of personnel.  There were many troops that were professional (Lifers?) soldiers, those that were finishing their draft commitments, previous volunteers, and those of us youngsters ( I was 19 in 1974) that were supposed to be the "New Army".

In retrospect, I'm grateful that I was assigned to the Automatic 8Th instead of the ground pounders of the Infantry or peashooters of the 2/11 or 3/13.

My first Battery Commander was Captain Duhan (This was April of 1974).  He ended up going to a firing battery, then Service Battery.  At HHB, I think his replacement was a Captain Dudley, briefly, then a laid-back battery commander whose name I can't recall (I think it was Yuhas). The initial Battalion Commander was LTC. McCarty.  I don't recall the Division Commander when I arrived, but during my assignment, an African-American General, Harry Brooks, became the CG.  He retired from the Army during his assignment, and went on to become a big mover-and-shaker in the financial  business of Hawaii and other states.

I would love to try to rattle off names of my buddies here, but that would probably not make much difference to you.  I do think about them frequently, as well as my life at that stage of my growth.  It would be fascinating to communicate with (some of) them.  By the way, your name caught my eye, too.

There was a buck sergeant in my commo platoon named Jesse Johnson (a radio repair spec as I recall).  He helped me a lot an was a great friend.

Again, I would be interested in any correspondence that you might have with personnel during that wild time of my life.  I will see if I can find any photos from that time.

(SP4) Jim Hiller
HHB 1/8 FA 1974 - 1977

jhiller@rink.com
jdlhhiller@msn.com