David Shaffer

In to Life: One Man's Story of Life from the Appalachia to Viet Nam and Beyond. Part 1, the Beginning David Shaffer

Eric Howard started out live on the mean streets of the lower West Side of New York City, learning to be street smart. Then at the age of five Eric moved to rural Kentucky, high in the Appalachian Mountains. Eric lived here with his Grandparents, in a very small town, until after High School. It was the family homestead that had been settled by his ancestors nearly 200 years before. This was his home till going to collage and where Eric learned to be a true Southern Gentleman. After Collage Eric served in the U. S. Army as a member of the Special Forces (Green Beret). His first tour of combat was as an elite member of S. O. G. Military Assistance Command Vietnam / Studies and Observations Group (MACV/SOG) Is a cover name to disguise the real function and name. Special Operations Group better describes it more accurately. Working closely with CIA, SOG carries out clandestine operations all over Southeast Asia. After 23 month in country Eric is badly wounded. Eric returns home to spend almost 16 months in an Army Hospital. After release from the Hospital Eric fights to remain in the U. S. Army and cover a bad case of PTSD. Eric becomes involved with a notorious out law biker gang. After much work Eric returns to active duty and the story goes on.