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Mike D'Orio received his draft notice while a freshman at Youngstown State University, but he opted to enlist in the U.S. Army.
After graduating from Leavittsburg High School, D'Orio was among the first 800 people hired at GM Lordstown. After graduation from Warren Business College, he enrolled at YSU, and his draft letter arrived in 1966, soon after he began his freshman year.
D'Orio's choice to enlist for three years allowed him to select the service branch and his job specialty. Enlisting allows for greater control over career advancement and specialized training tailored to the enlistee's interests.
"I went down and talked to the Army guys and they said if you enlist, you can pick your MOS (military occupational specialty). I enlisted and got 76 P," D'Orio said.
A U.S. Army MOS 76P is a stock control and accounting specialist who is responsible for managing and accounting supply operations. D'Orio went to Fort Lee's Stock Control and Accounting school.
"I was top of my class there and they wanted me to stay and teach at Fort Lee. They said that I was a good communicator and 'we need guys like you,'" D'Orio said.
While he was at Fort Lee attending school and getting ready to graduate, and while awaiting his next assignment, a member of the Special Forces came in and talked to his class. He asked if anyone was interested in going to Airborne School.
"My buddy, Eubanks, and I talked. We made up our minds and decided to go to jump school together in Fort Benning, Georgia," D'Orio said.
After four or five weeks of training, he got his jump wings. He then went for further training, after which he received his orders for Vietnam. Prior to being sent to Vietnam, he attended two weeks of jungle training in Okinawa, Japan.
"After arriving in Vietnam and waiting on the tarmac for five days to find out what company I was going to be in, and what I am going to be doing in Vietnam, they could not find my orders to direct me to a unit. They came out after five days and said 'D'Orio?'" I said, 'That is me sir. I have been here for a while.' They told me that they are going to send me to the 528th Engineer Battalion," he said.
D'Orio argued that he had his jump wings and should not be going there. They told him they realized that, but until they found his orders, he would be going to the 528th.
From there, he went to Quy Nhon for about three weeks. Orders then came for the entire 528th to be moved from Quy Nhon to Vung Tau.
"We loaded up on a converted LST (Landing Ship Tank) with all the equipment and traveled down the South China Sea for three weeks with no engine. We were towed by a military tug all the way down. We were attacked several times. Incoming rounds were trying to hit the ship. We were not that far off the shore. We had some military equipment to fire back, but we were naked out there," D'Orio said.
An LST is a type of amphibious warfare ship designed to carry tanks and other military vehicles and cargo. These ships are also used to carry troops onto low-slope beaches without docks or piers.
They kept going farther out, but as you go farther from shore, the South China Sea gets very rough, D'Orio said.
After arriving in Vung Tau, as part of the Airborne Special Forces, he and a few other soldiers were assigned to protect soldiers building bridges with telephone poles.
"We had several battles protecting these guys. It was constant out in the field because they kept blowing them up. We were up on the hills or in the tree line watching for anyone who came close. It got hot and heavy numerous times," D'Orio said.
He provided security there for about two months. They finally found his orders, and he was told that he was going back north to be with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. They sent D'Orio to a secured warehouse, where he got security clearance because the unit supplied all the covert action in that zone. He met with various military and nonmilitary personnel there who would pick up security orders
The 173rd had a base camp in An Khe, Camp Radcliff. He was asked to go out and help the 1st Cavalry Division, which was providing security on the Green Line -- the 5-to-7-mile perimeter covered with barbed wire 4 to 5 feet deep around the base camp.
After D'Orio was there for about a month, the Green Line was attacked. It went on for days, with all available military personnel there to support the Green Line. That operation was called "The Human Wave Attack".
D'Orio came back to the 173rd Airborne after supporting the 1st Cavalry. He was promoted to Specialist 5 and was awarded the Bronze Star.
After spending a year in Vietnam, he received his orders to go back to the United States, where he worked as an aide to a commandant at Fort Knox for three months. At age 21, D'Orio was promoted to staff sergeant. He returned to YSU to complete his degree after two years and nine months of service to his country.
D'Orio retired from Aramark, where he was division manager. He managed football, baseball, hockey and basketball arenas throughout the United States. He also served as Aramark's manager of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
Mike D'Orio
AGE: 78
RESIDENCE: Warren
SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. Army
MILITARY HONORS: Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, Vietnam Service Medal, Campaign Medal, Combat Rifle Medal, Good Conduct Medal
OCCUPATION: Retired division manager at Aramark
FAMILY: Wife, Judy