The Glen Arbor Sun Interview: John Peppler

In honor of Memorial Day, we spoke with Glen Arbor native and Coldwell Banker real estate broker John Peppler about his service in Vietnam and the way that experience has impacted his life, and views on service and patriotism, since coming home. If you Google his unit, the 1st Battalion 20th Infantry, you’ll find that it may have received the most press of any U.S. battalion during the Vietnam War — on account of the My Lai massacre on March 16, 1968. Peppler didn’t learn about that incident until coming home, and he hasn’t let it stain his pride for his service to this country.

Glen Arbor Sun: John, tell me about your service in Vietnam. What years were you overseas; how old were you when you left; where were you in country, and with which company?

John Peppler: I was in Vietnam from December 1967 to May 1969, age 20 upon arrival and 21 at departure. I was in the 1st Battalion 20th Infantry stationed in Duc Pho at LZ Bronco.

Sun: Would you be willing to share any particularly powerful or interesting experiences from that time? Good or bad?

Peppler: Memorable moments during my tour were: the Tigers winning the World Series in ‘68, Martin Luther King’s assassination, the ‘68 Tet Offensive, seeing Bob Hope in ‘69 at Chu Lai, driving Highway 1, mini-guns, quad 50’s, the heat and humidity, mosquitoes, and boredom followed by extreme anxiety.

Sun: Have your recollections or perspectives on your war experience changed in the years since you came home? How often do you think about your war experience?

Peppler: Vietnam was a life changing experience. Not a day goes by without thinking about it in some fashion.

Sun: What questions do you get asked most often about those experiences?

Peppler: It is difficult to explain what it was like other than the extremes one dealt with on a daily basis.

Sun: How did your experiences in Vietnam affect your view of this country, patriotism, the wars we fight, and how they are perceived by the American public?

Peppler: My experience in the military strengthened my patriotism and strengthened my belief that there is something bigger than one’s self. The biggest negative surprises from the Vietnam War for me came after returning to the States and those surprises were from the anti-Vietnam War crowd that did not understand what pressures the returning service personnel went through and what they sacrificed to survive.

The biggest negative from antiwar crowd was being called a baby killer and the generalization associated with that (most Vietnam vets were/are great guys).

The greatest antiwar crowd is the soldiers and the veterans — the difference is that vets and the military understand how precious the liberty is that we enjoy in the United States.

Sun: Do Memorial Day, Veterans Day or the Fourth of July resonate with you on account of your war experiences? Which holiday in particular, and how do you observe that day?

Peppler: Every day is a day to celebrate the liberty offered by this country. Patriotic holidays are important, but there is no country like this one on earth — there is no other country that offers the freedoms we often take for granted.

Veterans remember every day – the holidays are for non-vets to be reminded of what the vets did while in service.

Sun: Any particular books, movies, songs about the Vietnam War that you’ve enjoyed? Any that you dislike?

Peppler: Most movies are Hollywood glamour and do not represent reality. However, almost all of them provide some form of truth. The best movie in my opinion is “We Were Soldiers” (a 2002 film directed by Randall Wallace and starring Mel Gibson).

Sun: What advice would you have for young men and women who are considering enlisting in the U.S. armed forces, or about to deploy to war?

Peppler: Keep your faith; write your mother at least once a week, and stay focused on your job.

Sun: What advice would you have for those coming home to resume their lives?

Peppler: Give yourself time and take life one day at a time. Definitely have a goal to pursue when you get out.