Bruce Thiesen

Armed Force Branch: ARMY Rank: SPC 4 Dates Served: 1/15/64 to 1/14/66 Medals Received: Honorable Discharge, Expert Rifleman Badge

Biography: On January 15, 1964 I left Visalia via bus to Fresno to wait for the bus to Ft. Ord, California to begin my 2 years of service in the US Army. I did 16 weeks of basic training and 8 weeks of AIT training at Ft. Ord then was assigned to the 30th Artillery at Ft. Lewis, Washington as a communication field person. The 30th Artillery was a Battalion of 105, 155 and 8 inch howitzer guns.

In that position we laid wire from the guns (155) to the Forward Observer (FO) who would zero in on the target for the guns to hit.

Then in September 1965, I was assigned to the 44th Infantry which was training the Norwegian reserves to be battle-ready should they be called to supports in wars around the world.

Now, my training changed from guns to rifle platoons and Headquarters communications where wire was laid along roads, in trees and on poles to areas given by orders each day we were in the field. I spent the first three weeks of November 1965 in Norway and upon my return I was given the opportunity to drive for a Colonel until my tour of duty was up on January 14, 1966.