To mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, two local veterans shared their experiences before, during, and after the war.
Curtis R. Millner, Sr., who retired as a warrant officer, served as a maintenance sergeant with an engineer battalion. The unit was responsible for building and maintaining roads, bridges, telephone lines, and other critical infrastructure to keep supply lines open—often while under enemy fire.
Millner enlisted in the Army at just 17 years old.
His deployment to Vietnam began with a surprise phone call while stationed in Germany. “I got a call in the afternoon, telling me I was supposed to be in Vietnam,” he said. “I asked when.” The response was, “well you’re supposed to be there now.” Millner packed up quickly, brought his wife along, and was transferred from California to Vietnam. He served there from July to December 1971.
His mission changed again only months later with news of the U.S. withdrawal plan. Millner became part of Operation Keystone, a large-scale effort to return equipment to the United States under the Vietnamization policy.
“As engineers we were not there to engage the enemy. We were there to build for the war effort,” he said. “My Vietnamese secretary asked me why I wasn’t being attacked as much. It’s because whoever wins the war is still going to need the roads and bridges.”
Millner and his fellow soldiers ensured equipment could be safely withdrawn. “I was responsible for loading up equipment and making sure it made it back home to the States.”
He worked grueling hours. “The heat of the jungle, the complexity of the situation, fast moving. My average day while in Vietnam was 14 to 16 hours. Seven days a week.”
Millner thought he’d be heading home after that operation, but missed his cutoff date by two days and was reassigned to Long Minh. “They didn’t have a job for me there as a maintenance person. They asked me to be a defense NCO, and I asked well what’s that? It’s a nice name for a sergeant of guard.”
He was tasked with working in shifts to brief other sergeants and officers on the perimeter of Long Minh—the largest U.S. base in Vietnam at the time. As a sergeant of the guard, Millner trained security staff, protected military property, enforced regulations, and maintained security in an increasingly hostile environment.
He also navigated complex racial dynamics. Millner was one of few Black men in a unit of mostly Southern white soldiers during a time of civil unrest in the U.S. He built trust by living alongside his men and connecting with them directly. He helped troops under his guidance by spending time with them, talking to them casually, living together and earning their camaraderie and respect.
During his seven months in Vietnam, Millner said he was attacked only three times—but those moments stayed with him.
“When I heard car alarms go off or loud noises, I’d drop to the ground and get to cover,” he said.
After his tour, Millner continued serving in the Army as a teacher and maintenance specialist until retiring in the 1980s. He was promoted to warrant officer and served in locations including Fort Bragg and Germany. His Army career spanned 23 years and four months.
When asked what he wanted future generations to understand about Vietnam, Millner said: “It’s not all like what you see in the movies. There are some things that are not shown, and there are some things that shouldn’t be shown. War is nasty. War is hell. In Vietnam, there were a lot of somewhat secure areas, but no place was completely secure. You had to be alert at all times.”
He explained that the intense mental stress was part of why tours lasted only a year.
Waren “Sonny” Richardson, a helicopter mechanic during the war, also shared his story.
Unlike Millner, Richardson enlisted at 22. Though drafted in 1969, he qualified for an exemption as the only son in a family with five sisters. Still, he chose to go.
“I saw a bunch of guys doing things to themselves so they wouldn’t have to go. I wanted to experience it. I pray I can get back and tell about it. When you’re the only boy in the family, people would think you’re a sissy for not going since you didn’t have to. I wanted to go in.”
Richardson joined a crew of helicopter repairmen who had to learn fast — taking apart and reassembling Chinook helicopters in the field. After nine months, he knew every part of the aircraft.
He recalled his first day in Vietnam, overwhelmed by the heat and the long flight. “You couldn’t drink enough water, you can’t even drink the water, it’s so dirty. I thought, it’s what I volunteered for. But I never told anybody.
“I never regretted volunteering, even when bad things happened. It’s something men, well not all men, should experience.”
His job was to resupply troops in combat zones. “They had to clean a spot, clear a location and go land and deliver supplies. We disengaged that cargo hook, that bundle fell to the ground and we’re gone.” He also remembered wounded soldiers pleading for evacuation. “We couldn’t do it, we were a massive target.”
Richardson said his unit was shot at nearly every day, but the helicopter’s hull often protected them. “After a while you get used to it. Gotta pull up the car. It’s the same thing, while you are in the war you gotta do it right.”
Like Millner, he vividly remembered the heat. “If it was 80 degrees, we would’ve plum froze. That was cold to us. We were used to 120 degrees; 80 degrees in Vietnam was cold.”
Though he kept it quiet while serving, Richardson never regretted volunteering. “It was very dangerous. I’ve told a lot of guys over there, macho this and macho that. In the long run, you’d see these guys praying all the time. There are no atheists in foxholes.”
After his military service, Richardson worked at Dupont and later spent 22 years as a bus driver for Henry County Schools. He is now involved with Millner in the American Legion Homer Dillard Post #78. The American Legion is the nation’s largest veteran organization. Richardson is commander of the post and Millner is an Adjutant. Both men see their involvement as a positive force in their lives.
Richardson helps veterans access benefits through the VA. “It’s helped me tremendously,” he said.
The two also visit schools to talk with students about their time in Vietnam. “Yes, kids listen to veterans. You would be surprised. Kids are bumping into each other just to look at us with uniforms on,” Richardson said. He often sends congratulatory letters to students and teachers, who respond warmly.
Support from friends and family, they said, kept them grounded long after the war ended.
According to the Bassett Historical Center, 446 service members from Martinsville and Henry County served in the Vietnam War. Twenty-six were reported killed in action. The number of living Vietnam veterans is expected to drop below five million by 2027—making the preservation of their stories more important than ever.
