Homeland Magazine sits down with Vietnam Vet and artist, John Melillo
Melillo: Hostile until I learned that “to conguer the jungle, you don’t fight the jungle. You become Part of the jungle.” Trigering those inner animal instincts we all have, help me survive. Coping at that point actually became an adventure.
Homeland: Your story, growing up in the 50s and 60s, reflects a journey from an ideal boyhood on Long Island, New York, to an Ivy League university and then drafted to the jungles of Vietnam when life took a decidedly different turn. Tell us about your journey.
Homeland: You eventually became a patrol supervisor with responsibility for some 40,000 GIs and 60,000 Vietnamese in Long Bing, supervising all civil and combat incidences during 12-hour shifts, six days a week on days and six days on nights. What was that experience like?
Melillo: I grew up in a very loving family in Huntington, NY. Having family on the East End of L.I. afforded me a “Tom Sawyer” Adventure Childhood with cousinsfishing, hunting, exploring all the local Haunt Legends as well as working their farms. Family values gave me a great appreciation for this country. When I was drafted, there was no question but to answer the call. Homeland: What were the earliest days in Vietnam like?
Melillo: Extreme. My tour was at the end of the war when the Vietamese took over the fighting and all the GIs were drawn into my post. A lot of pent-up emotions were raging through the troops of this Unpopular War at the time. Unfortunately, being an MP represented the establishment to them. Also, any immediate off post enemy missions were my responsibilities as well. Homeland: What are some of things you experienced in Vietnam that had the greatest impact on you?
“The Caretaker”
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WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / DECEMBER 2021
