Streamed live on February 10, 2025

Bill Spanos began his military career when he volunteered for the draft in December 1963. He completed Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, followed by Advanced Individual Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Recognized for his potential, he was selected for Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, graduating as a Second Lieutenant in August 1965. While most of his class was sent directly to Vietnam, Spanos was one of four chosen to serve with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment—better known as “The Old Guard”—stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia.

As a member of The Old Guard, the Army’s oldest active-duty infantry unit, Spanos participated in numerous ceremonial duties, including escorting the president and performing military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Despite the prestige of his assignment, fate had more in store for him than just pageantry and tradition.

On June 15, 1966, after a demanding week of ceremonies, Spanos was looking forward to a quiet weekend. A fellow platoon leader invited him to a wedding, but Spanos initially declined, feeling exhausted. His friend persisted, eventually convincing him to attend. At the reception, he noticed a woman across the room in a yellow summer dress. Curious, he inquired about her but received no answers. Undeterred, he introduced himself. Her name was Rosemary.

The two quickly formed a connection, dating throughout the summer as Spanos prepared for his next assignment at Fixed-Wing Aviation School at Fort Stewart, Georgia. During one of Rosemary’s visits, he proposed to her over lunch in Savannah. Her casual response—”Oh, sure”—belied the deep commitment they would share for decades.

In early 1967, Spanos received orders for Vietnam. Knowing time was short, the couple arranged a quick wedding in Arlington on April 8, 1967. After a small reception at Rosemary’s parents’ house, they spent a single honeymoon night in Richmond, Virginia, before Spanos reported to Fort Bragg for Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Advisor training. The newlyweds settled into a small rental in Fayetteville, North Carolina, before his departure for Vietnam in late June.

Arriving in Vietnam, Spanos was assigned as an Assistant Advisor with MACV Team 70 to the 5th Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Division, based in Song Be, Phuoc Long Province. At Tan Son Nhut Air Base, he was warned that infantry sergeants might try to reassign new officers to their units. Alert to the risk, Spanos immediately identified a MACV representative and avoided being redirected.

During his initial orientation, he was issued an outdated M1 Carbine, a relic from World War II. Concerned about its reliability in combat, he requested an M16 but was denied. Upon arrival in Song Be, his Senior Advisor, recognizing the inadequacy of the weapon, issued him a CAR-15, a .45 pistol, grenades, a map, and a compass before sending him out on his first mission—just seven days into his tour.

His baptism by fire came swiftly. Less than an hour into the operation, his unit was ambushed in a rubber plantation. The Viet Cong had allowed the point squad to pass before springing the attack. With no air support, Spanos and his unit relied on their mortar platoon to repel the enemy. After the fight, with one soldier killed and seven wounded, he noticed his fatigues were soaked. His Vietnamese counterparts laughed, thinking he had lost control of his bladder. Instead, Spanos discovered that his canteen had taken a bullet—a small but fateful detail that might have saved his life.

That first battle was just the beginning of his time in Vietnam, where he served as both an Assistant and Senior Advisor, living alongside South Vietnamese troops and their families. The experience tested his skills, courage, and endurance, shaping him into the seasoned combat veteran he would become.

Through it all, Spanos and Rosemary marked two anniversaries: their wedding on April 8 and the day they first met, June 16. When asked if she would do it all over again, Rosemary always responded with the same casual certainty as her acceptance of his proposal: “Oh, sure.”

We’re grateful to UPMC for Lifefor sponsoring this event!