Interview, Richard Lynch, USA

Richard Lynch (b. 1948) was born in Geneva, New York. After graduating high school, Lynch enlisted in the United States Army and began his military service on November 27, 1967. He completed basic training at Fort Dix, in New Jersey, and received advanced medical training to become an Army medic. Lynch served as a medic in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in November 1970. After leaving the military, Lynch attended classes at Monroe Community College and then landed a job at Strong Memorial Hospital, where he worked for 38 years. While living in Rochester, Lynch became a member of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 20.

In this interview, Lynch discusses his experience as a medic in the “Dust-Off Units” in Vietnam, nicknamed for the dust blown up by the helicopters they traveled in. He shares that daily life in Vietnam was intense and dangerous and he recollects a few close calls while attempting to pull wounded soldiers out of the field. Lynch reports that he did not encounter any anti-war protestors upon returning home from Vietnam and that he is grateful to the military for funding his college education. Lynch explains that he resisted being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for many years, but that he now embraces treatment.