In April of 1968, Kevan Blasdel was a college student between course loads living in Piedmont, California near Berkeley. He received his draft notice from the U.S. Army to report to the Oakland Induction Center in July, and complete basic training and advanced infantry training, at Fort Lewis, Washington. “It was a good thing I was drafted,” says the former University of Texas El Paso cross country runner. “I was going nowhere. College for me was just a way I could continue playing sports.”
In a rice field near Phouc Vihn, the soldiers slosh through the mud, boots sinking deeper with every step. The wet earth up to their knees sucks tight, trying to take back what she once owned—their bodies! The platoon finally reaches rock hard ground, a stark contrast to the sinking mud. They attempt to dig a trench but their shovels can’t break the dirt! In this surreal moment, about 25 animated and friendly Vietnamese children approach the platoon on bikes scooters and wheel boards. “Coke! Coke! Cigarettes, beer!” they call selling their wares. Spec. 4 Soldier Kevan Blasdel buys a harmonica.
Piedmont’s Running Man: The “Blaze” of Vietnam
By Mary Lynn Heath
In April of 1968, Kevan Blasdel was a college student between course loads living in Piedmont, California near Berkeley. He received his draft notice from the U.S. Army to report to the Oakland Induction Center in July, and complete basic training and advanced infantry training, at Fort Lewis, Washington. “It was a good thing I was drafted,” says the former University of Texas El Paso cross country runner. “I was going nowhere. College for me was just a way I could continue playing sports.”
Kevan arrived in Vietnam in February of 1969. He was assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd of the 7th , 1st Cavalry Division. The 85 men of his unit were deployed by helicopters to various places in the jungle. They were radioed coordinates each day telling them where to hike to look for signs of the enemy—rice, ammo, bunkers and wires. Through radio they would report back to headquarters their findings. The team would spend 18 days in the jungle and 6 days on the helicopter Landing Zone (LZ). Kevan, nicknamed “Blaze,” carried the radio, their lifeline for direction and U.S. Army contact.
“On the radio, we used code so the enemy wouldn’t know what we were saying, and a different code every day from our shackle book,” Kevan explains. As an example, Kevan says that “Lima Charlie; Hotel Mike” would mean “loud and clear, how me?”
Using a compass, his platoon tracked through the jungle brush by day, never on trails. The man in front carried a machete. Ultimately, the mission was to prevent enemy forces from entering the cities.
“The jungle was the biggest obstacle for us, not the enemy,” Kevan says. “I was a long distance runner so I know those other guys were hurting!” Kevan tells that for every hour his platoon trekked in the jungle they would get a five minute break. “I would sit on my helmet and stare at the square foot of ground in front me. I might see some huge red ants and some sort of bug I’d never seen before.”
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Each night Kevan’s platoon would set up a parameter, dig holes and set a trip wire around the camp. Sometimes the enemy would trip it and it would set off a flare. “Then everybody would wake up, find their M16, and start shooting.” Kevan says. “We usually wouldn’t hit anything.”
Occasionally a soldier might trip his camp’s own wire. “They would come back from relieving themselves and set off the flare. That is how sometimes soldiers would get killed in the jungle,” Kevan explains. Of Kevan’s company, of about 200 men who served in his unit, 16 were killed and 5 of those were from “friendly-fire.”
Though his company exchanged fire with the North Vietnamese Army soldiers many times, once Kevan encountered the enemy face to face while cutting brush on the trail. “We met up with these two guys in flip flops and carrying a bag of rice,” Kevan tells. “They immediately chu hoi’ed -- or surrendered.”
“Every three days, we would receive supplies by helicopter,” Kevan says. “We would get C-rations and water, ammunition, and maybe some clean socks.” Kevan explains that clean socks were really special. He adds that many of the rations were discarded by soldiers who did not want the extra weight and bulk—not to mention, they grew tired of the food. “Typically, each soldier would be allotted one can of beer, and one can of soda. You could drink it, or you could save it. But if you save it, you would have to carry it,” Kevan explains. Canned ration dinners might be spaghetti, beef stew and beans and franks. Kevan was most fond of the beans and franks, but many times he ditched his canned dinners for the peanut butter and crackers.
“The one thing I learned in Vietnam: Back in the world, you can go down to the store, and buy a Coke any time you want,” Kevan says. He adds that in Vietnam you can’t buy soda as you want it, and it is never cold!
For “Blaze” the encounters with the Vietnamese people were amicable. “They liked having us there because we brought commerce. The Vietnamese are a very smart and business savvy people as a whole.”
Kevan arrived in Vietnam as a specialist 4 and was discharged as a sergeant. Though he feels the Vietnam War was “futile from the start” because foreign armies always go home eventually, he truly respected the Army. “The Army is efficient, organized – our troops did a good job. There were a lot of really smart and good people in the Army.”
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Kevan says the image of the Vietnam soldier smoking pot and going crazy in the jungle isn’t true. “We were too busy for that stuff,” he tells.
In Piedmont, Oklahoma Kevan is still a long distance runner and if you are up and about at 6:30 a.m. you have probably seen him. You can also find Kevan on many boards and committees in Piedmont. From the Windmill Park Neighborhood Association Board, to P-3 subcommittees and the Dignity Memorial® Vietnam Wall committees, community service fills much of the retired banker’s time.
Kevan traded Piedmont, Oklahoma for Piedmont, California in 2002 after researching growing towns at his local California Public Library. “From selling my property near Berkley, I was able to buy my house here and still have some profit to live on,” he says.
A hospitality committee volunteer for the Dignity Memorial® Vietnam Wall in Piedmont, Kevan will attempt to find some of the 16 names of the men who died in service from his Alpha Company 2nd of the 7th 1st Cavalry. Nonetheless, he feels the Wall is a little indulgent. “What about the guys that fought in Korea?” he asks. “They had to fight the Chinese Army!” He believes all Veterans should be remembered not only Vietnam Veterans.
During this summer’s 4th of July holiday many will gather in Piedmont, Oklahoma to find the names of fallen soldiers they have known on the Dignity Memorial® Vietnam Wall. This two-thirds size replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. tours the United States and lists the 58,260 (http://thewall-usa.com/information.asp) soldiers who died in Vietnam. It gives veterans and their families, who may never have a chance to travel to the nation’s capital, an opportunity to experience the memorial. It is free to all visitors and will be open 24 hours a day at Stout Field from July 2nd through July 5th.
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