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Author J. Richard Watkins was born and raised in Brockton, MA. After graduating High School in June 1968, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. By October of the same year, he was preparing for his service in Vietnam. He spent a year of active duty, most of which was spent in an office somewhere in the middle of Kansas, Watkins requested combat duty and spent a full year in Vietnam. For this single year of his life he was part of the 25th Infantry Division and was awarded 16 service medals. In addition to the standard medals awarded to all who served during this war, and his unit's collective medals - the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Army Presidential Unit Citation and Army Meritorious Unit Award - Richard was personally awarded the Vietnam Gallantry Cross, two Army Commendation Medals, and four Air Medals. Watkins, an expert rifleman, earned the Combat Infantry Badge, the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers - enlisted men and officers holding rank of colonel or below - who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size or smaller. Following his year in Vietnam, Watkins was one of the lucky men to return home and settled again in Brockton - alive and as physically complete as he had been upon departure. He became self-employed and worked for the local government as a Constable until his retirement in 2001. He currently remains a Eucharistic Minster for his church. Watkins is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #697 and Commander of the American Legion Post #35. Over the years Watkins' time in Vietnam - the people he met, the experiences that shaped him as a man, and ultimately, reflected throughout his life - became paramount to understanding who he is today.

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