U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War Mokena, IL Flight date: July, 2019
By Bob Pomorski, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interviews Volunteer
Don Tollefsen went from being a garbage man working in Cicero, Illinois, to being part of a Floating Battalion in the South China Seas.
He grew up in a typical household with siblings that include a younger brother and sister. Don attended St. Francis of Rome School and delivered newspapers around town. His father owned a trucking business which enabled Don to become competent at driving a truck. After high school, Don’s experience got him a job as a garbage truck driver for the town of Cicero.
In 1960, the military draft was still in effect, even though it was considered a peacetime draft. Don and a friend of his wanted to join the Marines instead of waiting to be drafted. But at this time, the Marines were very picky about whom they selected and Don was not sure he would be picked. The U.S. Marines came a-calling in February.
At age 23, he was sent to Boot Camp in San Diego for sixteen weeks. Next, he was sent literally next door to Infantry Training at Camp Matthews (La Jolla) for four more weeks. Camp Matthews was known as the Marine Corps Rifle Range. After training, he was sent to the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, also in California, to await further orders. When his orders came, Don found himself headed to Okinawa. After the long journey to Okinawa, six more weeks of training began right away. Next, Don was shipped to Yokohama, Japan, and then boarded a train to Camp Fuji, another Marine Base Camp in Japan, which was located at the base of Mount Fuji. The camp was large, 309 acres including 34 acres of range and maneuver area – a perfect place for more training. This is where Don was assigned to 105mm Howitzer guns. Then Don received more orders, the Battalion was heading to Vietnam. To adequately move all the equipment and heavy machinery, the group was transported by a Landing Ship Tank (LST). First developed during World War II, LST’s are ships that carry tanks, vehicles, equipment, and troops for amphibious operations and landings. These unique ships can land directly onto the shore without needing a dock or pier.
Don was certain that he would be part of a U.S. Marine landing in Vietnam. That did not happen. Instead of landing in Vietnam, the “Floating Battalion,” comprised of LST’s and a troopship carrying over a thousand Marines, were sent to Borneo, one of the largest islands in Southeast Asia. The Marines performed landing exercises there and interestingly, trained a group of several hundred South Vietnamese soldiers. This was one of the first times the U.S. was involved in training these soldiers. They provided them training on how to protect themselves, hand to hand combat, and overall gun and rifle training.
After Borneo, the Floating Battalion spent the next 57 days circumventing the South China Seas. Imagine being on a ship floating around for 57 days. They received no mail, and had to get supplies from a general stores issue ship via cargo nets and highline that would steam alongside the receiving ships.
Don was in the Marines for fifteen months when new orders came to be sent back to California, ending up at 29 Palms, the largest U.S. Marine Corps Base. While there, he took Marine Corps Institute courses on self-propelled howitzers and became proficient at them. His rank also went from Lance Corporal to Sergeant (E-5) upon his honorable discharge on Valentine’s Day of 1964.
Don went back home to Cicero, drove a truck for a while, and then settled into a 32-year career in the “waste management business” driving a garbage truck for Bolt Scavenger Service. Along the way, Don met his lovely wife Donna and has been married for over 52 years. They are very close to their two daughters, Susan and Mary, and five grandchildren. Don’s face lights up when he talks about them.
Being a proud Marine and having served his country, Don is active in the VFW in Homewood, Illinois. He currently holds the position of Quartermaster. A while back, the group sold their building and donated money to sponsor an Honor Flight out of the Springfield / Champaign area. In addition, they have built a memorial monument in Homewood, and sponsor parades, including the Memorial Day Parade complete with a twenty-one-gun salute.
Living by the motto “once a Marine, always a Marine,” Don and his fellow marines at the VFW, like John Beele, are reuniting with Marines that fought on Iwo Jima during World War II. John was given a flag by the photographer, Joe Rosenthal, who took the famous picture of the Marines raising the American Flag on Mount Suribachi. John and Don have been getting soldiers who fought on Iwo Jima to sign the flag which is now covered in signatures. The plan is to take the flag back to Iwo Jima for the 75th anniversary of the battle to honor the Marines who fought there.
