Vico E. Henriques, an interview by Daniel McCool, November 9, 2004: Saving the legacy tape no. 729

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VICOE. EN Q E to the nipers, but the game had changed. Shortly after joining my unit the reality of war became painfully r al. I had t kill enemy soldier. I had been raised in the Christian tradition i.e. Thou shalt not kill . I wa n t alone in wrestling with the apparent dilemma of moral dictate and physical necessity or duty. In the first half of my stay in Korea the action remained hot and sustained. Later as the Cease Fire negotiations wobbled along, we turned more to constructive activities, as opposed to active (destructive) combat. I did what was called for by the military requirements of the situation and engaged the enemy with explosive devices, firearms, and hand to hand combat with knives or only hands. I was a good soldier and effective in my actions (I'm still here - They aren't). I take pride in my actions as a soldier, but I still have troubled feelings about the morality of my actions as a human being. I have reread history from a new perspective and question some of the interpretations of rectitude for one side or the other; both claiming to have God on their side, or declaring the need to rid the world of oppression, such oppression being defined by combatants. I still am amazed how easily I could become a competent killer, with almost no compunction, and then return to civilian life and try to behave as if nothing had happened. It will always be at the back of my mind, but I have long since given up trying to rationalize or understand it. It is what it was - and I survived. And I guess the battalion commander felt sorry for me, or was worried about me. Besides, we were rotating a lot of the troops. The Alabama kids were going home; and, in any 8