A Minnesota PBS Initiative
Tom Whitebird: That bullet might be yours
Tom Whitebird (Ojibwe), was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968 at the age of 19. When he was at Fort Hood, he was one of 4,000 that were called to go to the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Tom Whitebird, U.S. Army
In Chicago, Tom was tasked with driving a Jeep. He remembers the chaotic scene saying, "All of a sudden, they hand you a rife and 6 clips of ammo and tell you 'if you’re under fire, return fire.'”
Tom Whitebird's draft notice
You’re in a situation that anytime, that bullet might be yours.
The he was off to Vietnam. When he landed in Bien Hoa, he jumped off of the TWA plane and jumped into a bunker, seeking safety from mortar fire. The plane took off with everything he had. “It took a week to get our clothes back,” he recalls. That’s when the reality that he was in a war zone set in.
He was sent to Vietnam to be a mechanic, but they need military police. So, he ran convoys and escorts as a guard. “There were a few scary moments.” He remembers mortar attacks that “Blew us out of our beds.” He says, “You’re in a situation that anytime, that bullet might be yours.”
Tom lost some good friends, but says that the passage of time heals wounds.
Today, Tom is a Fond Du Lac Veteran Service Officer. He doesn't consider himself to be a hero, but is doing what he can to help others. “I feel like I’m doing something now to help veterans. It’s a very rewarding job.”
Fond du Lac veterans
Biographical Details
Submitted From: Cloquet, MN
Primary Location During Vietnam: Biên Hòa, Vietnam 
Story Subject: Military Service
Military Branch: U.S. Army
Dates of Service: 1968 - 1969
Veteran Organization: Fond Du Lac Veteran Service Officer
Specialty: Mechanic, Military Police
Story Themes: 1968 Democratic Convention, BIen Hoa, Coming Home, Draft, Fond du Lac, Giving Back, Mechanic, Military Police, Native American, Ojibwe, WDSE WRPT
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