Scott Cates - U.S. Army 1968-69, M-88 Tank Commander, Vietnam

Scott Cates grew up in Key West, FL and after graduating from High School in 1967 married his High School girl friend. A month later he received his draft notice. Scott would eventually serve as a M-88 tank commander in Vietnam. “When I got to Vietnam I went as on-the-job training, they said, ‘You ever drove a tank?’ I said, ‘Shit, I'm from Key West. I've never seen a tank.’ So that day I was a tank driver.”

The M-88 is a tank recovery vehicle, so Scott basically stayed in the fire base until something happened and they had to go get one of the tanks. “Some of them landmines they would blow the track off it, and then you'd have to repair the spindles and put the track back on. But those armored personnel carriers, those square box things, them things were dangerous. They (the VC) had a B-40 rocket that would leave a hole in one side of it and the next thing it hit, it blew out.”

“I don't regret doing it. I wouldn't trade the experience for a million dollars, but I wouldn't do it again for two million. It was just a whole year. I mean, 365 days, that's a long-ass time.” - Scott Cates

Thank you to American Legion Post 28 in Key West, FL for inviting USA Warrior Stories to record interviews.