ROTM: Sacrifice for Freedom

Lee Maddox: So joining me now on Root of the Matter is Mr. Joe Alexander from Loudon County. Mr. Joe, how you doing today? Thanks for being with us.

Joe Alexander: I’m doing really well today and thank you for, for asking.

Lee Maddox: Yes, sir. We’re getting ready to celebrate kind of a holiday that has been around our country for for many years, and rightfully so Memorial Day. And I know it’s a it’s a special day and a special special tribute for you, as a former service man. And even more so than that. Before you were in the military, you were a farmer growing up, and I think that had a lot to do with the man you are today. But I would say your military experience as well has, has kind of molded you into who you are today. Right?

Joe Alexander: Yes, Lee it has. And I did grow up in the farming world and, and I found later in my life, how important my youth in farming, how well it served me as a soldier and in life in general. The I was had the good fortune of being involved in farming and agriculture as a youth and it had such a tremendous impact on me, and especially my military career.

Lee Maddox: Take us back to where you were raised. And about that farm you’re referring to tell me about growing up where it was that and what kind of farming was it?

Joe Alexander: Yes, I worked on my grandfather’s farm. We’ve been in the family since around 1810 here in the Lenoir City or near Lenoir City in Loudon County. And my family historically had been farmers and my father was fortunate enough to get a college degree became a teacher of vocational agriculture. And he continued to farm as well as been a teacher and every day of my life after school on weekends on holidays, it every possible time my father took me to the farm, and we work on that farm in the summer months we work and I did have my grandfather and finally, just my father. And it it gave me so much, I guess traits and qualities that we’ve been doing me the rest of my life

Lee Maddox: That’s not an unlike us story we hear today you have an ag teacher and their kids growing up on a farm. Unfortunately, there’s just not as many kids growing up on farms today. But the ones that do are in that same similar situation as you were as as a youth you you learned the values of hard work and responsibility and and and then eventually you know that kind of led towards patriotism right?

Joe Alexander: It certainly did and and so many things as a farmer you learn you know, one is that if you you do everything you can you do everything right in farming, you plant the seed, if the rain doesn’t come then you don’t have a crop and you have to you’d have to endure that and have to come at a continue again the next year and keep doing it not to give up and those kinds of things were so critical in not most my life but particularly in my military service as a as a patriot in our country.

Lee Maddox: And you talked about it not raining there’s there’s also those times when you when you get too much rain, right so you never know the weather is always going to play a factor on on how successful or unsuccessful a farm maybe

Joe Alexander: You’re exactly right. And you just don’t give up. You just keep plowing you keep holding or you, you keep replanting and and if there’s too much rain or not enough rain or whatever the case may be, you just don’t give up and you you just you just didn’t do the hardships and you plan you find ways to survive you do

Lee Maddox: So obviously Mr. Joe, you are your father was a was a ag teacher and you went so high school and and you knew that he had gotten his college degree and and that’s something that you wanted to pursue as well. Right and so you you went to college and that was at a time remind us when that was, but obviously, I know when it was when you’re going to say in the, in the 1960s, you know, a very a different time. And you know, the war had begun in Vietnam, right?

Joe Alexander: Yes, that is correct. In my high school years, in the early 60s, the Vietnam war had begun, and we begin to hear about it in the news. And on the papers, didn’t know much about it, where it was, I didn’t have a clue where it was in the world. And I did graduate high school. And I attended the college for a couple of years. And I just had this urge to, to serve my country and I left my college career and went through the active duty for three years, and then returned back to school and finished my, my degree at East Tennessee State University.

Lee Maddox: What year was that? When you graduated high school when was that from Lenoir City High School, or what was the high school

Joe Alexander: I graduate, graduating in 1964 from Loudon High School, we lived in Loudon, because my father taught at Loudon High School, and the farm was new in Lenoir city. Now, I’ve since I’ve retired from my business, and I have moved to the farm in Lenoir City and live on the farm. And it’s such a wonderful life. And it just, it was got many fond memories of having been here as a youth and, and working with my father. And in the last 12, but 10 years now they’re retired. And it’s just an absolute wonderful life to be on the farm and just enjoying that. So, so I graduated high school in 1964.

Lee Maddox: And then you, of course, went to college, you said for two years and and then then to serve your country. And tell us about that. What what branch of the military were you in? And and I’m sure that was eye opening experience, as you got involved in the military, right. It’s not something you just, you know, take lightly. It’s pretty serious stuff.

Joe Alexander: Yes, it is. And I don’t know what kind of moved me to go to serve my country, I had every intention of having a college degree. But I just remember just having this urge and need. Because the 1966, I guess it was the war was really building up. And it just in every news daily and, and I just, I just felt that as an American citizen that I had an obligation to, to serve in some manner, whether it’s a military or I need to do something for my country. And so I just decided to do that. I had had just gotten my deferment from for another year for a college department. So I was good for to avoid the draft. But I went to the, to the army recruiter, and I said, I’d like to go and sign up and, and get my service behind me and do my duty. He said, That’s great. You sign here, that’ll be three years of your life. I said now wait a minute, my buddies are going for two. How do I just go for two? And he said, Well, you gotta be drafted. So that he explained how to do that. So then I was drafted into the service. And I ended up spending three years on active duty because after my first years enlisted, graduated from Officer Candidate School infantry officer candidate school, and became an officer, which was another two year obligation. So I ended up spending three years in the active duty.

Lee Maddox: And so we’re talking 1966 1967 and, of course, as you refer to the war was ramping up to the war in Vietnam and, and quite a different time for all Americans. At that point, a lot of division. I think it already started and but so you’re in the army, and I think you volunteer in the Airborne Infantry Regiment. Is that correct? Tell me about that.

Joe Alexander: Upon completion of Officer Candidate School and that was as a Second Lieutenant. I asked to be airborne. And I asked to, to be assigned to Vietnam I wanted to go when I wanted to, to serve in combat, which seems really odd. I had an ancestor who fought at the Battle of Kings Mountain in a Revolutionary War. And he was a Lieutenant Colonel and he led some of the charges up Kings Mountain, and I think it had inspired me to become an officer, and also follow his footsteps and serving in combat for our, our country. So I did in fact, go to Airborne School. And immediately it was assigned to the Third Battalion, bravo, 6th Airborne Infantry at Fort Campbell. And the Third Battalion was consisted of about 660 airborne soldiers. And we our mission was to train for six months at Fort Campbell, and then go to Vietnam for a year. And it was part of the build-up program where they kept adding more and more soldiers into the, into the Vietnam we were, we went as a battalion, which is a exciting story all by itself. But But that’s, that’s sort of how I got into the, into the Vietnam War.

Lee Maddox: And just can’t imagine Mr. Joe have volunteering to jump out of an airplane. But that’s, that’s what, that’s what you do, right? As you you jump out of an airplane into combat into enemy territory and under combat, right?

Joe Alexander: That is correct. It is a short version. In January of 1968. It was about the 15th of January, my battalion was preparing to make a combat jump along the Cambodian border. And about six hours before we got on the airplanes to make a combat jump. The order was the operation was canceled. Two weeks later, the Tet Offensive began. And so we were, we were about to jump right into the middle of about three divisions of NVA. So I guess in some ways, it’s good. We didn’t make the job. But we were scheduled to do so it jumped out of an airplane. You do kind of wonder a little bit have you lost your mind, but it is exhilarating. It’s just there’s something about it. There’s a brotherhood there. There’s a bond. And obviously, you’re trained extremely well before you ever step out that door into space into the sky.

Lee Maddox: And I know it’s been it’s been several years, you know, well over 50 years since since that occurred, but and maybe I’m thinking you’ve been a little reluctant to share your experience up until maybe now, because it was pretty dramatizing, right? It was it was substantial. Like you said, I mean, first of all jumping out an airplane I don’t know if I could do it. But going into and fighting in an area in the jungles of Vietnam, in a place, obviously where you know nothing about and you’re depending though on your brothers right to get you through and had to be very, I would say terrifying moment, but maybe exciting and exhilarating all of that. But obviously, the sacrifices that you all made as as Americans really shows that true patriotism that this country was built on.

Joe Alexander: Yes and you’re right, I have most I guess everyone really knows it was a Vietnam soldier came home. There was very little what you might say, appreciation for his service or what he did, or the accomplishments that were made. The it’s I guess, an accepted fact that we didn’t win the war. But the soldiers won they’re part of it. It was more more I guess, of what national decision but coming home, we just sort of naturally the Vietnam Veterans and me being one of them. We just didn’t talk about it. And if you were to maybe say a few words about it, and nobody understood, nobody could share they couldn’t understand the what you were saying is is just as difficult so, so and the World War II people, I mean, they were well treated now. Now they liberated France and prevented the Germans from taking Bastogne and going to the English Channel and, and we took the Iwo Jima and we defeated Japan. So they had national headlines that this made them in a much more prestigious place. But the Vietnam Veteran and the Korean Veteran is talking about the Korean Veteran. And pretty much same as the Vietnam that we just, there was so much anti war, that this was not a very popular thing. So, go all these years, just with it inside of me, and not able to share it, or to get it out of my system, I guess. But it wasn’t one the day in my life, since` Vietnam, not a single day that I didn’t think about the third battalion 506 Airborne Infantry, what it accomplished, or the people that in it, were in it, those who were killed over who wounded. I just, every day of my life, I thought about those, those that time. And I guess 25-30 years after the war, begin to reunite with my, my brothers in from the 3rd 506 And, and it begin to take come together, you know, we could we could talk, we could chat, we could share things. And everybody understood your not to explain anything. And after our reunions, then we would we would go home and wait for the next reunion. We repeat the same thing. But the thing is that this didn’t share the many great things that were done by American boys in the Vietnam War. But until just recently, and you know, I’m very proud of my farming. And I tell everybody about my farm and I talk about my farm and I talk about my cows and that legacy, the farm and my it just it’s just everyday I’m probably somebody about my farm and I just wanted I thought, why am I not talking about the mitigate things with in 1967 1968 by many, many great people. So it just dawned on me just recently, that I need to when opportunity presents itself to tell people that there were so many great Americans that sacrificed a lot for our country in the Vietnam War, and the Korean War. And I’m very proud, just just anxious to talk about it and share that, that that part of my life and just like I do my farming.

Lee Maddox: Well, one experience there that you might could enlighten us on. Maybe not too fun to remember, but you were badly wounded. Right? In, I think in February of 1968.

Joe Alexander: Yes, I was. And again, this was during the Tet Offensive 1968 which is the height probably of of the war. There were a lot of battles after that, but but that was probably the biggest national attempt that the Vietnamese had to, to win the war. But yes, it was. The war began on the Tet Offensive started on January 31 1968. And we had traditionally we did our business in the in the, in the countryside, not in the towns, and again goes back to my farming skills, you know, you go through the rice paddies and, and all the different things you see agriculturally in Vietnam and I always enjoyed that. But, but we were always out in the countryside, where the concept of the Tet Offensive was that the enemy would take the fight to within the towns in the cities. And which was just totally different what we were used to so we wake up on February the 1st with the enemy taken over the the local town government, the prison, the hospital and they had taken over everything within the infrastructure of the communities there and so our job was to go into towns or fight and get them out which we were doing and we had pushed them out of town very quickly, and they were retreating back into the mountains. And so it was about two weeks. Then 19th of February, we were given the order to pursue the enemy. And they were because they were escaping. Well, my company Company A was was moving on the outskirts of the town called Phan Thiet was just dew east of Saigon. It was right on the sea coast, a beautiful, beautiful place, lots of fishing boats, and just a lovely place. But anyway, my battalion commander was in a helicopter flying above. And he was looking down and we had paused for awhile, the company company I had, and he could see the enemy not far away. He calls and says, to tell my boss and does it in code ofcourse. He says the enemy is to the front, but Lieutenant Alexander, they’re escaping attack now. And so my commander said Yes, sir. He ordered me to attack, I turn, ordered my squads I was a platoon leader, infantry platoon leader. And I gave them all in order to prepare to attack. And they all gave me their signals with this is nothing new for us. We had our own methods of communicating. So I gotta report, everybody’s ready. I set the word up, we’re ready. So the order came attack. So we started to move forward, had gone just a short distance, and we had stepped into an ambush. L shaped ambush, the enemy was to my left flank, and the enemy was to my front. And the colonel had mistakenly read them as they thought they were escaping when they were actually taking up their defensive positions. And which is not an uncommon thing to make miss judgments. But anyway, so we we were instantly found into a crossfire ambush. The battle raged for about three to four hours, it was very intense. I was responsible for conducting the the maneuvers of the platoon which we couldn’t maneuver through had no where. We were on a rice paddy just just, All we could do is almost survived. But I did do the coordination of all the supporting fires, attack helicopters, artillery, mortars, Air Force, and had some naval. So it was a very loud three hours, three or four hours. But during that, during that battle, I had, I went into the battle with about 40 paratroopers, and of the 40 8 were killed in action 13 were wounded. And the ones who weren’t wounded and including those who were who did survive all the survivors were scarred for life. It was very, very memorable moment, I guess. But we did. We did. We did win we defeated the enemy, we destroyed the enemy. And that’s when I was wounded five times during the battle. And I saw a lot of heroism. I saw a lot of this I mean this in the ones who were killed when the bodies were retrieved. All of them there rifles were aimed toward the enemy that nobody ran they everybody stayed there and the did thier duty covered for each other and had just several stories I could tell of heroics there but but it was quite memorable. Tramatic, I guess. time in my life.

Lee Maddox: Well, it’s very much appreciative of of your service and that sacrifice that you did enter to be wounded five times and to and witness your fellow brothers going down like it did and you And you’re young men, right? You’re, you’re in your 20s. Right? So

Joe Alexander: Oh, yeah,

Lee Maddox: It’s just kind of all inspiring that you all were able to do what you did in that territory that, you know, maybe you as a farm boy, might be more familiar with, but I’m sure to all of you, it was just, you’re in a whole different world. And you’re, you’re a world away from back home on the farm, right?

Joe Alexander :Yes. And I will share this, that there was a moment where I thought I wouldn’t survive. And when you when you have that moment, some of us have had that, in car accidents, or just different issues throughout your normal life, you have a fright or a fear that you’re going to pass. And I had that moment or second. In that. One, the first thing that came to my mind was, was my farm life, what a beautiful farm. It was just just the picture of our farmers have been green and everything just flashes, so your mind and a moment of just, you know, panic and in, in fear. But there’s just this serenity of the farm just did did it came through my mind and my family course and my church and, and that sort of thing like that. But it very vividly sticks in my mind. That how much my farm life meant to me, and what it it had would have been one of my last thoughts have not survived.

Lee Maddox: But one of the things that so many of us take for granted is the freedoms and what we are blessed to have in this country. We take it for granted, those of you like yourself, and so many other service men and women throughout the ages have have helped to provide that freedom for us. And I know that when we think about days, like this day of Memorial Day, you’re you’re thinking about your your fallen brothers that you served with and, and all the ones before, even in previous wars, and that means something special to you right Memorial Day to you know, and to many other service men and women, it means something a little more.

Joe Alexander: It does, and you know, the 8 guys that I lost. And I knew of I know a few others that were killed in the war, but but there were 56,000 50,000 I believe it was killed in Vietnam. I can’t quote the numbers for the other wars. But you go back to Korean War, World War two all the way back the Revolutionary War, the number of people who have died in service to our country, it’s just an overwhelming number. And I’ll say this, that those who have given their life for our country, again, beginning with our patriots and Revolutionary War, that they their spirit, the spirit of those fallen, soldiers, resides in the American flag. And it’s the American flag is the one place that you can honor and salute every single person from the beginning of the revolutionary war that has died on our behalf. So we can have a free country, we can be a sovereign country, we can govern herself, because so many people have sacrificed their lives and, and it is upsetting when we see people disrespectful to the American flag, because it represents my eight guys and all these other probably millions of people who who have given their lives and it’s not just big gave their life it’s to family, brothers or sisters and mothers. And I felt many times people I know that were killed, that what they would have contributed in the in the last the next, you know, 50 or so years, I lived since that war. What we what our country failed to have because they weren’t citizens of our country and contributors to our country.

Lee Maddox: Amazingly, said Mr. Joe Alexander former a paratrooper with 101st airborne and one thing you mentioned that often in this in this talk is the sacrifice and one thing that maybe you can help share with us there’s a new book out that came out earlier this year that’s called the book is entitled Sign Here for Sacrifice. And it follows those brothers of yours that you’re talking about those paratroopers and, and that were part of the, the third battalion, the 506 airborne, Infantry Regiment, and what you all kind of went through and know that you’re featured in that book at some point. And something that I, I guess that’s made a difference to you as well that it’s come out now.

Joe Alexander: Yes, they’re so true to that book, really is what part of what’s inspired me to, to tell my friends and neighbors about what happened in Vietnam and not to hide, not to not do subdue that message anymore. Because as I read that book, I’m taking this door needs to be shared with other citizens who, who drive down on interstates and enjoy Fourth of July picnics and things because know that this there was sacrifice to have this freedom, the the so many books, in movies, and just about all of them in our history of, of the Vietnam War, who have had a really negative, untrue portrayal of the Vietnam soldier. And the author of this book, Ian Gardner, who is a Englishman in England, said about trying to tell the story of the soldiers himself. And if they were really, the soldiers were well well trained, and well and served our country very well. As opposed to what so many other media has portrayed. The Vietnam veteran is, is different, different negative images. So So that was his goal was to try to portray to try to tell the story of some really good soldiers who, who, all, every one of them all 8 660 million, they all volunteered for that duty. None of them were drafted into the 506 they volunteered for in third 506. No one that they would spend a year in Vietnam. So yes, the book was inspired me and a lot of ways.

Lee Maddox: Well, and we’re glad it did and proud of what you represent what you represented then and, and the upbringing that you had on the farm, that I’m sure that, as you said that paid so many dividends as a soldier, but over 50 years ago, now you’re looking back and remembering those stories that need to be shared, and the sacrifices that you made, and the ones that our military men and women today are making that are continuing to protect the freedoms and of our country. And that flag that that flies so proudly, we don’t ever need to forget that and I know on Memorial Day and July 4 and even at Christmas and other holidays, I know you’re thankful for this country and for being raised on a farm and still live it on that farm today.

Joe Alexander: Yes, sir. And I love every minute of it. And, and I’ll say this that that you know, in Vietnam, we did our we earned our freedoms today as we speak today was members of the 506 101st in Eastern Europe today with guns and bullets, standing ready to do what we did in Vietnam. So tomorrow is another day we have to earn our freedom every day. So even though we did it in Vietnam and even though we’re doing it today, tomorrow is a whole new day and freedom and we have to earn it we have to fight for that to protect it and our soldiers today are doing just that and and Memorial Day. I know it’s a great day the weather’s gonna be pretty good looks like and we’ll be doing you know people will be doing barbecues and and going maybe to the lake is probably the warm enough to swim and boat and have hamburgers and barbecues. And that in this day out from work and family and friends, but I encourage everyone to take it take just a moment that wouldn’t take long during Memorial Day to Remember those people who gave their lives in sacrifice in service to our country, this is take a few minutes and pause and maybe some family you know, we we gather together to pray for our meals. When we say our prayers for Memorial Day, dinner, hotdogs, whatever. Let’s just add in their special word for the soldiers who died.

Lee Maddox: Well said, Mr. Joe Alexander, thank you very much for your service. Thank you for sharing your story and your time with us. And at the root of the matter. The farm boy from Loudon County, Tennessee is served our country well. You’re still serving our country. Well, and we just appreciate that and, and you’re still on the farm yours. You’re representing Farm Bureau there and Loudon County, president of the Loudon County Farm Bureau. Just thank you for your service as a soldier, as a farmer, as a family man,

Joe Alexander: I am the leader here in the county and the President and I want to thank Farm Bureau because first of all, it is a Christian organization and it is it has all the right values. The Tennessee Farm Bureau, I think is a leader among the in the nation. And is does so many good things for for agriculture and and for our food supply system. I mean, that’s what US farmers do. We provide food and and we have Farm Bureau there to help us and I know legislative law is that Farm Bureau is is it’s just so critical and so important to us at state and national level to look at because I is a beef farmer in Loudon County. I can’t impact the state or national legislation. And I know the Farm Bureau does that and does it exceptionally well. And without Farm Bureau. I would hate to think what our farming life would be like today. So I’d like Farm Bureau for that.

Lee Maddox: Mr. Alexander, thank you again for your service and for your time here today and we just appreciate everything you’ve met.

Joe Alexander: Well, you’re more than welcome. And I just just I’m proud to be an American and proud to be a farmer and I’m proud to be a Tennessee Bureau member.