A Minnesota PBS Initiative
I Will Fear No Evil
After seeing a Navy Blue Angels air show when he was seven years old, Byron Gigler knew he didn't want to be a farmer like his father before him. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as soon as he graduated college and ended up as a helicopter pilot. He was struck by how much faith in God the young troops he carried had.
I had a different reputation back in the day... my life completely changed years ago and I had a chance to actually witness my fellow pilots, so that was a high point for me.
Biographical Details
Submitted From: Brooklyn Park, MN
Primary Location During Vietnam: Da Nang, Vietnam 
Story Subject: Military Service
Military Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Dates of Service: 1966 - 1971
Veteran Organization: VFW, American Legion
Unit: HMM 164
Specialty: Helicopter Pilot
Byron's story was captured with the help of TPT's Minnesota Remembers Vietnam team at the 2017 Minnesota State Fair.
Story Themes: American Legion, Brotherhood, Byron Gigler, Coming Home, Faith, Helicopter, HMM 164, New Beginnings, Pilot, Politics, Relationships, Religion, Reunion, Semper Fi, State Fair Interviews, Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW, Watch
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