Vietnam 1st Battalion
Mark Aderhold
H & H, E (TF) Companies 1969
My name is Mark Aderhold; and I had the good fortune to serve with the Tiger Force as a medic, from March 1969 through July of the same year.
I lost many good friends in July and I was wounded in this same campaign in the A-Shau Valley.
Since my army days, I have been a computer operator (lasted about 6 months) and then a Jacksonville, Florida Firefighter. A job I have had the past 31 years.
I am married to a very fine lady, (Sharon) and have 1 daughter and a stepson. We live in Orange Park, Florida just a few miles from Jacksonville; where I lived all my life.
I got bored with college as an 18 year old and joined the Army (what an idea). I took Basic at Fort Polk, went to Fort Sam for Medic Training, Fort Benning, for Airborne, and then Fort Bragg for Special Forces Training. While at Fort Bragg, I developed pneumonia, and compounded by a leg injury, I missed about three weeks of training. I was told I’d have to re-enlist to finish all my training and shortly afterwards dropped out and was sent to Vietnam.
I got in country around March 1, went through the week training down south and was sent to Camp Eagle, after a week or so was sent to a line company.
I had already applied for the Tigers, but was told “you’ll have to go to a line first”. I don’t remember what line company I went to. I was there about a week and was transfered to the Tiger Force. The rest is history. I stayed with the Tigers from about March 20th until the last part of July.
I remember, probably as most of you do, many good times and good friends. I miss all of the people I came to know from my tour. I especially miss our youth and ability to adapt
and exist side by side, though our backgrounds and outlooks were many and varied. War certainly bonds and brings out the best in men. Don’t know about women, we weren’t that politically correct in those days.
Thanks for letting me put some information out on this page; and hello to all my friend out there.
Sincerely: Mark Aderhold and wife Sharon.
P.S. I am the Tiger in the foreground the other is a young man we called Red.
