David Rodriguez has a legacy of military service in his family, but his real motivation for joining the Army was to move on from working in the family business of farming. Soon he was off to Ft. Lewis, Washington, for basic training. He was then trained as a combat engineer. By late 1966, he was off to Vietnam.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Rodriguez tells us about his first time in combat and how training could never fully prepare him for it. He also explains the mindset needed to have a chance of surviving. Rodriguez also shares the details of his actions in December 1967 to counter a U-shaped ambush the enemy launched against his unit. His charging and takeover of a machine gun position led to the end of the threat and a Bronze Star.

Rodriguez also tells us about his three wounds, including two serious bayonet injuries. Finally, he tells us about his work as National Commander of the American GI Forum and his advocacy for our veterans to get much better care than they currently receive.