Bill Patterson - The 319th Commander, Captain Paul Drew Troxler
Military protocol says I should have recognized this man when I first began writing of our adventures in Vietnam. Well, I didn't and I do apologize for such evidence that I knew almost nothing of protocol to start with!
Captain Troxler was our C.O. from our inactive status through our training at Fort LeeVirginia, our service in Vietnam, our release from active duty and our return to inactive status in Augusta Georgia. I was also with our 319th Transportation Company at this time and as with all of us, we were constantly in each other's company, sometimes whether we wanted to be or not.
Drew Troxler continued to serve his country after our war tour was over and has stayed in touch with our unit to this day. He has supported our reunion committee and we still call him "Sir" sometimes. He has often traveled considerable distances to attend our reunions in Augusta. We have all gotten to know each other in different ways since returning to civilian lives. We knew each other's strengths and weaknesses in our experience. I can truthfully say today that Drew Troxler did his job in an outstanding manner as I saw it. He was certainly devoted and professional. I hope we continue to see each other for many years to come.
Sometimes Captain Troxler would surprise us by riding "shotgun" on our convoys. He would act as an assistant driver, carrying a weapon and helping with the mission. In this photo, it looks like Eddie Hudson got the lucky draw of having his C.O. be his shotgun for this convoy. Drew is the one on the left. His captain's two verticle bars are visible on his helmet.Otherwise, he looks like all the rest of us. He has his M-16 rifle, ammunition, first aid kit and flak jacket. He probably has a web belt with canteen and extra ammo in the truck. The truck's load is covered and may have been perishable products. The dirt road could have been any of the ones we traveled. The Vietnamese woman on the left was probably trying to sell something. The truck is one of our 319th's five-ton cargos.
Our guys somehow decided we should be called "Troxler's Truckers", a name which remains to this day. I didn't understand all that happened to us during our war year. But today I am very proud to have served with a commander like Paul D. Troxler.