Sniper was Aiming at Him
Fort Lauderdale News, Thursday, April 14, 1966 ~~ by Diane Sanchez, Staff Writer
Marine Lance Corporal Mitchell B. Young had a bad scare while serving in Viet Nam recently.
Young was walking through the brush when he saw a Viet Cong who had spotted him.
In a letter to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dean Young, 3240 SW 17th Street, Young said, "It was a sniper and he was shooting at ME! Boy, I was behind a rock like a flash!"
DEMOLITION MAN
Young is a demolition man currently attached to the Marines Third Battalion infantry which recently took part in Operation Utah. The Marines in this operation boxed in 2500 Viet Cong and killed and wounded an estimated 1600.
Young said the battle wasn't hand to hand, but sometimes there was just 10 feet between him and the enemy. He described the battle as "rough".
"It was the biggest contact with the enemy since the war started," Young told his parents, "and I was right in the middle of it."
Of all his duties, Young fears blowing up caves most. It requires him to squeeze into them, set the charges and squeeze out before the discharge.
Young had asked his father several months ago to send some fishing line. "I wondered what he would be doing with it," the father said. "But his last letter told the story."
The 20-year-old Marine told his parents about capturing several Viet Cong and tying them up with the fishing line.
"I knew he wouldn't be doing any fishing," the elder Young said, "but that was the last use I thought of for the line."
Young's parents received a rare hope of seeing their son on television after the Utah battle, when some of the Marines were interviewed.
As luck would have it, Mitchell stood next to a soldier who was being interviewed, but they didn't get even a glimpse of their son.
With a sense of humor, Young, a Stranahan graduate, describes the Viet Nam jungles as THICK, THICK, THICK, the weather as HOT, HOT, HOT, and the mountains as HIGH, HIGH, HIGH.
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Cpl. Young returns from Viet Nam Duty
Stark County News, Wednesday, November 16, 1966 ~~
Marine Cpl. Mitchell Blair Young, grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Blair Young and A.R. Appenheimer, Toulon, recently returned to his home at
Ft. Lauderdale, on October 24, with all the neighbors' flags flying in honor of his safe return. Mr. and Mrs. Young are former Toulon residents. He will report to Cherry Point, N.C., on November 21, where he will be with the marine Air Control Squadron.
Young reported for active duty in the U.S. Marines on August 17, 1964 and went through 11 weeks of basic training at Parris Island, S.C. He received four weeks of advanced combat training at Camp Gieger, N.C., and six weeks of demolition and mine warfare train ing at CAmp Le Jeune, N.C. He tried out for the 2nd Marine Division Rifle Team and made it and was on the rifle team from March until June of 1965.
He served as a rifle instructor at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, until recieving orders for duty in Viet Nam.
On the island of Okinawa Young received four months of extensive training for Viet Nam. He arrived on the shores of Viet Nam on January 28, 1966, with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, for Operation Double Eagle. He was in every major combat operation until October of 1966 when his rotation came up to come back to the States.
While in Viet Nam, Young was on a demolition team assigned the task of destroying all Viet Cong bunkers, caves and fortified positions. He also cleared out mines, mine fields and numerous boobytraps.
Young was on liberty in Manila, Bangkok and Tokyo. A visit to the military installation at Da Nang, South Viet Nam, was cut short due to unfavorable conditions.
Young received several packages from the Toulon Woman's Club while in Viet Nam. He used money sent to him for film for his camera.
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