Richard J. Aguinaga: A Modest Bronze Star Recipient

By Mark Menconi, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interview Volunteer

Richard Aguinaga was drafted at the age of 19, entered the service on June 19, 1969, and served until his honorable discharge on December 31, 1970.  Serving in Vietnam and Cambodia, Aguinaga says “Once you are drafted you are the property of the United States Army and go where they tell you to.” Richard’s training consisted of three, eight-week sessions. First, Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood,  MO. consisted of basic discipline and understanding orders. He continued on to Ft. Knox, KY. to be trained in radio operation. Finally at Ft. Gordon, GA, Richard had Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in radio operation. In addition to writing letters home, as a trained radio geek, he was also able to speak with his parents about every 6 weeks by using amateur radio operators. 

Richard received his orders for Vietnam when his training was completed. He was able to go home to see his parents before reporting to Oakland for his transport to Vietnam. Of the men that Richard went through training with, one-half stayed in the U.S., one-quarter went to Germany and one-quarter went to Vietnam. When he left Oakland, he first flew to Hawaii. While there he ordered his mother flowers for Mother’s Day and wrote her a note. Incidentally, Richard returned to Hawaii three years ago and visited the USS Arizona Memorial there. 

Richard is the recipient of the Bronze Star for a land mission in Cambodia with the 199th Battalion. He prefers not to discuss much about that.   During his service, Richard reached the rank of Specialist/4 and the government offered him and others money to re-enlist for four more years – an offer he declined.

In 1969, there were 525,000 American soldiers in Vietnam and Richard expected to be in an infantry battalion.  His home base was the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in Long Binh, Vietnam, 1st Air Cavalry Division. Long Binh Post was the U.S. Army’s largest base camp and housed administrators.  The U.S. Army used the base as a logistics and command center. By some veterans’ accounts, it had the unofficial name “Long Binh Junction.” In 1968, the base fell under attack during the Tet Offensive, but the Viet Cong assault force was repelled by American troops.  The base was a kind of “stand alone” island for U.S. troops “in country,” a phrase used to describe a soldier who was on a tour of duty in South Vietnam. Long Binh had dental clinics, large restaurants, snack bars, a photo lab, a wood shop, post offices, swimming pools, basketball and tennis courts, a golf driving range, laundromats, and even a Chase Manhattan Bank branch. It had a nightlife scene, as well. 

Richard spent most of his time in forward base camps.  Forward camps had canvas tents and were protected with sandbags; soldiers slept on the ground.  During the monsoon season, which was months long, it would rain 3 to 4 times a day.  Then it would get hot before cooling down at night to 70. The area Richard was assigned was a 24 by 7 operation with soldiers working eight hour shifts.  Richard was a radio operator on a fire base (FB) where he was responsible for communicating with helicopters carrying troops, dignitaries and supplies. 

Richard participated in many missions that established a forward position and advanced the line.  The plan was to be gone three days but that didn’t always work out. They would move forward and then set up. When you left base camp you had to bring water, food and ammunition for three days. But sometimes on the third day the relief soldiers couldn’t get to you and you had to stay in position. Sometimes the area was too “hot” for helicopters to land with supplies so  hopefully you had rations enough for the fourth day. Base camp was much different, as it was a chance to clean up, clean equipment and have good food along with free time and movie nights.

Supply caches of the Viet Cong were mainly underground but they also used the Ho Chi Minh Trail to transport supplies.  It was a thin trail near a hilly countryside with a lot of farmland  and difficult to walk. The Viet Cong would go into villages and take supplies and then kill civilians.  When we arrived in the village we would speak to the elders to find out what was going on.  In any location in Vietnam you have to engage with Vietnam civilians.  If civilians could be paid to do the work that soldiers were doing, it was a benefit because this would free up the soldier to do something else.  The bad side to this was the Vietnam civilians would map out the grounds by counting steps when they went to work.  They would relay this information to North Vietnamese soldiers so they could pinpoint their bombs against the U.S. Troops.  

Richard recalls one of his best experiences in Vietnam – he was able to contact a first cousin in Saigon and spend four days with him. His other favorite memory from the service was leaving Vietnam.  We flew to Oakland for discharge and couldn’t wait to get home.  He was on an American Airlines full service flight. When he took off, it was actually December 31. Arriving home was a great way to start at the New Year. Richard has since traveled to China and Thailand but has no desire to return to Vietnam. 

Richard feels the difference between serving in the Vietnam era and today is that you typically served only one tour of duty then. Today, men and women are serving multiple tours. Freedom is not free, it costs men and women their lives physically and mentally. When he arrived in Vietnam, time stood still.  Everyone received a calendar with 365 numbers that you marked off each day and everyday while under the threat of dying.  “We were soldiers like my father who served in the National Guard for 16 years.” 

When he got home in January of 1970, it was back to normal life. His Mom and Dad had a welcome banner in the window for him. They had proudly displayed a service flag with a star in the window while he was away.  At first Richard was using language he shouldn’t have and his dad said “You are home now, you need to get back to being a civilian.”  He was able to find a job shortly after he returned home.  He was hired by the Chicago Police Department in October.  

Richard and his four brothers grew up in Bridgeport, a neighborhood on the southside of Chicago. Three brothers were Chicago Police officers, and one was a Chicago fireman. Richard was a Chicago Police officer from October 25, 1971 until June 2, 2012, retiring as a Captain. He worked numerous districts throughout Chicago and several departments including the Organized Crime Unit, Detective Division and the Marine Unit.  Richard liked that his job gave him the ability to help people in need.  He disliked seeing what humans can do to one another.  He went to a two year college using the  GI Bill and then received a master’s degree in law enforcement at Lewis University in Romeoville.

Richard volunteers for the American Legion as Quartermaster and is also an elected officer. He serves as a board member of the 199th Brigade for their occasional reunions. As a police officer he has helped sponsor a tour to Washington, D.C. He and his wife Kathleen met at a wedding after he returned from Vietnam. They have been married almost fifty years and have three daughters. They like to travel and volunteer; Richard likes to fish. 

Richard was recently honored at a Chicago White Sox game on July 17, 2021 during the 3rd inning.  They projected his image on the TV in center field and the entire stadium stood and clapped for him.

Thank you, Richard, for your dedication and service! Enjoy this special day of honor in Washington D.C.