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Topeka veteran recalls being drafted at 19 and serving as an infantry rifleman in Vietnam

Chuck Atherton was 19 and about a year-and-a-half into college when his plans were changed by the draft. In 1968, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to serve in Vietnam as an infantry rifleman with the…

Illustration showing a veteran figure near a memorial wall and a helmet on a bench in a calm town setting.

Chuck Atherton was 19 and about a year-and-a-half into college when his plans were changed by the draft. In 1968, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to serve in Vietnam as an infantry rifleman with the First Cavalry Division.

In his reflection, Atherton describes his Army role by his military occupational specialty, stating that his MOS or job description was 11B40.

The account is part of KSNT 27 News’ Veteran Salute segment and focuses on Atherton’s personal experience of being drafted and serving overseas during the Vietnam War era, from his home base in Topeka.