Rick Holen

GI actor in Vietnam

I was born and raised in international Falls, Minnesota and both my parents were World War II veterans. My mother was in the Women’s Air Corps and was General Spaatz teletype operator at Bushy Park in London. My father was also in the Army Air Corps and assembled the Waco gliders for the Normandy invasion and was stationed Scotland. They met dancing to Glen Miller at the Savoy Hotel in London and married in England.

My mother was the Koochiching county draft board clerk and I received my draft notice in my high school graduation card 1967. My brother was in Vietnam at the time and when he returned home; I received orders to go to Vietnam in 1969. I enlisted in the Air Force. I was thinking that I would end up at some air base in the states or in Europe. Both my parents demanded that I enlist and not to be drafted and being a good Norse boy, I did what my parents told me to do.

I was stationed at Bien Hoa airbase in Vietnam and felt fairly secure until 122 mm rockets started to fall quite often onto the base. Anyone stationed there would tell you that you slept with one eye open and scrambled to the bunker in your underwear at the sound of the first impact.

I considered myself very fortunate to be assigned to the Army Air Force Exchange, which in military terms is either the BX or PX.

The BX was much like a Wal-Mart for GIs. You could buy stereo equipment, cameras, watches, clothing, snacks, cigarettes, beer, and just about anything else that you would find at a Wal-Mart.

The exchange system had a very hard time getting civilians to take jobs in a combat zone. So GIs were assigned to basically do that function. I was in charge of the cash cage. Counting military script, Monopoly money, for real American dollars were forbidden to use in Vietnam. I would make money runs to Saigon frequently to make deposits at the Bank of America. And return with smaller denominations for change.

Driving on Route 1 from Bien Hoa to Saigon was a 35-mile trip. The Vietnamese traffic was far more dangerous, then the possibility of being shot by a sniper on my many trips. I was issued M-16, but traded in for a Smith & Wesson pistol. For it is very difficult to shoot a rifle and drive a Jeep at the same time.

One day I got lost in Saigon, which is very easy to do. And I ended up in front of the Army Special Services entertainment compound. There was a large banner outside the compound to read, "Auditions for the “Fantasticks”, a musical comedy.

I parked my Jeep, and ran in the compound to audition. About three weeks later I get a phone call telling me that I will be receiving tentative duty orders.

While I was in high school I was very interested in becoming an actor. My high school drama coach started a summer stock theater company in Ranier, Minnesota. And it was very active in the company for many summers.

The summer before I left for Vietnam I took a 45-day leave and was made executive director of the Rainy Lake Playhouse. I directed the Fantasticks and played lead in the production. So I parked my Jeep, and ran in the compound to audition.

About three weeks later I get a phone call from the Army Special Services Director; telling me that I will be receiving tentative duty orders to participate in the command military touring shows production of the Fantasticks. I thought that the play would be mounted in Saigon for the civilian employees and MACV the general staff. This was not so, I ended up touring all over Vietnam for two months as an actor in the Fantasticks.

The Command Military Touring Shows, CMTS, toured some of the most remote areas of Vietnam, performing for the troops in the field. We performed at all the field hospitals, airbases, firebases and wherever else we were assigned to perform. We were transported in helicopters and every other kind of aircraft/vehicles that the Army or the Air Force had their disposal at the time.

The audiences on the most part were exceedingly favorable to our performances. Some of the places we performed didn't even get Armed Forces radio. So we were the only form of entertainment that they received in the field. The most meaningful performances that we did were for the wounded GIs. Some of the troops came out of surgery three days before and were still in heavy bandages, lying on gurneys.

My homecoming from Vietnam was a very sad and lonely experience. I immediately enrolled in college at St. Cloud State College and got my theater degree. I then continued my education in a graduate program at Indiana University. And have had a 34-year-old career as a college professor at many four-year institutions across United States. And finally attained a full professorship in a small university in southern Indiana.

My wife of 45 years and I have returned to International Falls, Minnesota have decided to live as close to the Canadian border as possible. We love International Falls and especially Rainy Lake.