War. His name is Lonnie Quitman Ellis he was born on March 2, 1946 in

Gaffney, South Carolina and he was an only child. Lonnie has two children

and is now a collections manager, a resident of Jacksonville, Florida and a big

Jaguar fan. Lonnie flew helicopters and instructed students in flight school

Chris: How old were you when you decided to join the Army?

Lonnie: I joined the Army on April 12, 1966 when I was twenty years old.

Chris: Did you join the Army before or after the war began?

Lonnie: The war was already underway and the draft was in effect; this was

the period after the buildup began.

Chris: Why did you choose to join the Army, why not one of the other armed

Lonnie: As a kid I always favored the Army with a particular dislike for the

Navy. The Air Force I didn’t view as a significant part of the armed forces.

Chris: What did you do in the Army and why did you choose it?

Lonnie: I enlisted as a private, went to officer’s candidate school then to

helicopter flight training after that. Besides being a pilot I also was a military

Lonnie: The entire training process required two years to complete.

Chris: Can you tell me what type of missions you had to complete and how many?

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