Russell Caforio: A surprising draft

Russell Caforio grew up in Endicott, New York. Shortly after finishing his education in New York, he took a job that moved him to the Chicagoland area. He worked at a government facility that offered a draft deferment at the time. 

As a part of the draft, starting at the age of 18, each person had to keep the draft board aware and up to date on any address changes. That way they knew where you were at all times. 

After Russ moved to take his first job, he notified the draft board. Shortly after notifying them, he was called in for a physical. Due to a bad knee, Russ was given a 4F status, meaning that he was unable to serve. 

Russ survived two industrial accidents within 8 days of each other while working. Both incidents involved being struck by electrical shocks of 4500 volts and 70 amps. The shocks resulted in a compression fracture vertebrae. This was his sign to quit and send out some new job applications.

Russ officially quit and took another job that transferred him to Cincinnati. Upon arrival, he changed his address for the draft board and was called in for another physical shortly after. 

Heading into the physical, Russ did not have much stress as he was currently carrying a 4F from his bad knee and now having a compression fracture vertebrae, there was no way he would be called to serve, or so he thought. Russ stated, “Due to the situation in Vietnam at that time, the need for ‘bodies’ was such that you had to be in bad shape to be rejected. If you could fog glass, you were eligible.” 

At the end of the physical, Russ was told he would be on a bus to base camp that evening. He was shocked to say the least. If he refused, he would’ve been AWOL (Absent Without Leave). 

He called his employer, grabbed some clothes, left his brand new 60-foot house trailer and brand-new car, and headed out to a base camp in Georgia.

As they began to run out of leadership in Vietnam, Russ was sent to a newly formed Non-Commissioned Officers School directly after finishing both base camp and advanced infantry training. 

Russ graduated from the school as a Staff Sergeant E6. Shortly after, he received orders for Vietnam in February of 1968.

After hearing this news, Russ and his soon-to-be wife, Sharon, planned a wedding in 2 weeks. They both spoke about how remarkable it was to see their community come together to give them a special wedding in such little time. Russ remembers, “We had 2 weeks from start to finish, meaning from when we had to send out the invitations… We had a wedding with a sit down dinner for 150 people in 2 weeks. That’s pretty amazing.” 

When Sharon was asked about planning the wedding in such a short amount of time, she recalled how she had heard about how poorly the Veterans were returning, some without a limb. She said, “I thought, Lord, I have to say yes, because if he comes back [different] and that would have been my vow before this, I would still have to take care of you [Russ] for better or for worse.” 

After becoming newlyweds in March of 1968, the two went on a short honeymoon. In the same month, Russ left for Vietnam.

After arriving, he was assigned as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant to the First Infantry Division, the Big Red 1. Their base camp was near Saigon.

Their company did daily search and rescue missions. A typical mission could take several days. Russ states, “We trudged through villages, triple canopy jungles, rubber plantations and rice fields.” The picture below shows Russ on one of many missions.

Although one would’ve thought his days of being shocked by high level voltages was over, that was not the case. One night, Russ was putting 3-foot diameter rolls of barbed wire around their company’s position while a thunderstorm began to take over the area. Russ was struck by lightning. He laid on the ground as the hours went by. He trembled uncontrollably, unsure of what the future held. He was given medication, although it did not seem to work. Russ states, “I finally settled down and was able to resume activities… no other choice. God wasn’t done with me yet.”

A memory that still makes Russ smile looking back at Vietnam would have to be receiving mail. There was nothing like a reminder from home. He wrote to his wife, Sharon, all throughout his time in Vietnam.

He also recalls how showers were few and far between, but when they occurred, it was quite the routine. Each person was given 5 gallons of water, no more, no less, out in the open. As soon as the water ran out, your shower was over. Oftentimes there were clean clothes after the showers. He notes that clean clothes were always a reason to smile.

On what turned out to be his last night of combat, Russ was on ambush with 9 men. He said, “I turned on my Starlight scope and the empty field across the road was covered with Vietcong… the enemy… an image I will never forget.” Russ and his company were preserved through the night but had to tear down their position and move locations in the morning.

That morning, Russ and his company had to cross a creek on logs with 80-pound backpacks. A log had slipped, resulting in Russ tearing the cartilage in his knee. Using a rifle as a crutch, he traveled to a safer area to ultimately be evacuated by the supply helicopter that tried to deliver hot meals as often as they could. 

He went on R&R and then traveled to Japan where Camp Zama Army Hospital was. They performed surgery on his knee. 

While recovering, the Sargeant that had taken his place after tearing the cartilage in his knee arrived with his leg shot off at the knee. Russ remembers that it was, “very humbling to see.” 

With a lot of prayer and what felt like God’s hand guiding Russ throughout his time in Vietnam, he made it home on Thanksgiving Day in 1969. Russ added, “and what a thankful day that was.”

He had to start over in a new city, with a new job. Russ began installing pneumatic tube systems. About 2 years later, in June of 1971, he started his own insurance brokerage that he still runs today. 

Having resided in Elmhurst for the last 53 years, Russ was recently the Grand Marshal of the Elmhurst Memorial Day Parade. He describes the experience as being, “Incredible, just an incredible experience.” He goes on to describe, “Both before and after… I got more hugs from more people that I’ve never met or didn’t know than I’ve ever done in my life.”

When asked what he is looking forward to most about the upcoming Honor Flight, Russ said, “It’s the honor of going there and seeing the memorials… being recognized… cause we weren’t.” He goes on to explain, “Knowing the attitude of the people towards Vietnam Veterans was terrible, it’s nice to be appreciated.”

Even though he was struck by high level voltages, a bolt of lightning, and almost struck by enemy fire on his last night of combat, Russell Caforio survived and today is struck by the honor given to him by God to see his family grow, watch as his children grew up, and see the thousands of people honoring him for his service.