by Bill Spanos

Before Vietnam Veteran Bill Spanos served as a US Army advisor to the South Vietnamese Army, he was a member of “The Old Guard,” the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment.  The Old Guard is the nation’s oldest active-duty infantry unit and serves as the Army’s official ceremonial unit and escort to the president. Below is Bill’s story of meeting his wife Rosemary before shipping off to Vietnam in 1967.

I volunteered for the draft in late December 1963, did Basic Training at Ft. Knox, KY, and Advance Individual Training at Ft Polk, LA. I was selected to attend Infantry Officer Candidate School at Ft Benning, GA, and graduated as an Infantry 2nd LT in August 1965. Most of our class went to Vietnam, either directly and with assigned units.

I was only one of four selected to the 1st Bn, 3rd Infantry, “The Old Guard” at Ft Myer, VA. Formed in 1784, The Old Guard is a ceremonial unit, often referred to as the “President’s Own.”

On Friday, June 15, 1966, after a busy ceremonial week, I was exhausted and looking forward to a restful weekend.

I received a phone call from a fellow Platoon Leader, advising me that he received an invitation to a wedding of one of his soldiers. I steadfastly told my friend that I was too tired to attend. He kept badgering me with phone calls into the following morning. He knew I didn’t like the groom, whom I felt didn’t possess the skills and attitude to be a member of our prestigious unit. Finally, after much hounding, I caved. We met at the Officers Club for a few Cuba Libres (rum and cokes) before the wedding in the Old Chapel on Ft Myer.

Saturday’s ceremony was nice, and I declined to attend the reception at the bride’s parent’s house. Once again, my colleague harassed me until I relented.

At the reception, I saw a girl on the other side of the room. She wore a beautiful yellow summer dress. I asked if anyone knew who she was, but no one did. So, I walked over, introduced myself, and we started talking. Her name was Rosemary. We began dating and got serious through the summer.

Then, I was assigned to the Fixed-Wing Aviation School at Ft. Stewart, GA. Rosemary came to visit. At lunch at a diner in Savannah, I asked Rosemary if she would marry me.

“Oh, sure,” was her casual response.

In 1967, I was back in Arlington pending orders for assignment to Vietnam, which arrived sooner than expected.

I was to report to Ft Bragg, NC, on April 10 for MACV Advisor training. Rosemary knew an Arlington County judge, since she had worked in the Clerks Office there.

We were married on April 8, 1967, and had a small reception at her parents’ house with close friends. We spent one honeymoon night at a Holiday Inn in Richmond, VA. I then reported to the Special Warfare School for 12 weeks of MACV and Vietnamese language training the next day.

We began our married life together in a small rented house in Fayetteville, NC. I departed for Vietnam in late June.

Rosemary and I celebrate not only our wedding anniversary, April 8th, but also June 16th, the day we first met.

On occasion, I’ve asked her if she would do it all over again.

“Oh, sure,” she responds.