Mike Kinniburgh, George Maestas and Jerol Arguello during Basic Training at Fort Ord, California in 1969
Four boys of many from Green River
By Jerol Arguello
This short story is only one of many stories of girls/boys from Green River who served their country, The United States of America in military service.
In 1967-68 four boys from Green River were enjoying time off after graduating from Lincoln Senior High School. Arthur Maldonado was in Green River, George Maestas was in Green River, Mike Kinniburgh was in Green River and Jerol Arguello was in Colorado.
In 1968 each one of them received a draft notice from their local draft board notifying them that they have been drafted into the U.S. military service. The four reported to U.S. military facility in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 8, 1969 and they were inducted into the U.S. Army.
Courtesy of the U.S. Army they were flown to Los Angeles, California and driven by bus to Fort Ord, California. Fort Ord is located on the Monterey Bay Peninsula in California and was named after Civil War Major General Edward Cresap Ord.
During the Vietnam War it was the major training center for the nation and home for over a half million soldiers for basic training, advanced Infantry training and basic unit training.
After arriving in Fort Ord the first words the four boys from Green River heard were loud and clear stating “Get off the bus you maggots” which came from the load voices of the drill sergeants. This was the beginning of their military service and the end of their civilian life. After getting off the bus and the yelling calmed down, they were marched to their barracks.
After receiving their military uniforms and being placed in their platoons they were able to rest for a short period.
During the first rifle shooting training session Arthur Maldonado was diagnosed with a hearing impairment, so he was notified that his services with the U.S. Army were no longer required. Arthur was flown to Salt Lake City and returned back to Green River. The remaining three began the process of their military service in the U.S. Army.
After completion of basic training George Maestas was ordered to attend radio communications training in Fort Ord, California. Upon completion of his training and after a 30 day leave in Green River he was ordered to report to Germany.
In Germany he was assigned to the communications center in Germany. Mike Kinniburgh and Jerol Arguello were trucked to another part of Fort Ord for Additional Infantry and Jungle Fighting Tactical Training.
In August of 1969 after completion of Additional Infantry and Jungle Fighting Tactical Training Mike Kinniburgh and Jerol Arguello received orders for a 30 day leave and they received orders to report to Fort Lewis, Washington in preparation for overseas duty in Vietnam. After their 30 leave at home in Green River Mike and Jerol left for Fort Lewis, Washington.
After a short stay in Fort Lewis they were flown to Hawaii then Guam and then arrived in Cam Rhan Bay, Vietnam late in evening of September 8, 1969. After getting off the plane and standing in formation the process began of where they would be assigned. Mike Kinniburgh was assigned to the 101st Airborne and Jerol Arguello was assigned to the 23rd Infantry, 198th Light Infantry Brigade.
That evening they were assigned bunks in the sleeping quarters and Jerol told mike if we fall asleep and they wake you up first wake me up so I can tell you good-by. Both Mike and Jerol were pretty tired from the airplane flight and from being up all night getting situated. They both fell asleep and when Jerol woke up he looked over at Mike’s bunk and he was gone.
Years later Mike informed Jerol that when they woke him up everything happened so fast that he was not allow to wake Jerol up to tell him good-by. Mike recalls the Chinook helicopter ride north from Cam Rhan Bay to Pleiku and then the Huey helicopter ride north to Hue, Vietnam. Jerol recalls the Chinook helicopter ride north from Cam Rhan Bay north to Pleiku and then the Huey helicopter ride from Pleiku north to Chu Lai, Vietnam.
Both Mike and Jerol were combat Infantry soldiers and completed a one year tour of duty in the jungles of Vietnam. They realized later that they were both with-in 25 miles of each other in Vietnam.
Mike Kinniburgh in Vietnam
After returning home from service in Vietnam and after their 30 day leave at home, Mike was ordered to report to Fort Hood, Texas and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion 81st Armored 1st Division where he drove a tank.
Jerol was ordered to report to Fort Carson, Colorado and was assigned for 2 weeks with the 1st of the 5th Mechanized unit and then for the last six months of his military obligation he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division 2nd Battalion 22nd Infantry.
After completion of their military obligation George, Mike and Jerol were honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1971. Just like the Green River boys from the past, present and future the four boys became men and paid the price for our freedom in the United States of America.
Mike retired from the Green River Police Department in 2004 and after four years of retirement Mike went back to work for the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s office assigned to the court security department. In 2005 Jerol retired after 34 years of Federal Service with the U.S. Department of the Interior and is currently the main contact for locating and assisting personnel in his Infantry unit (Delta Company) who served in Vietnam. Arthur Maldonado currently works and lives in Arizona and George Maestas currently works and lives in Green River.
