Why I Disobeyed Orders in Vietnam: A Combat Veteran Speaks

"In the heat of a Thanksgiving 1967 firefight, First Lieutenant Repps B. Hudson stood up in the middle of battle — and loved it. 'I felt like Patton,' he says. 'God, I love this.' This is his story: a farm boy from Missouri who enlisted after the Kennedy assassination, trained at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Ord, and became a platoon leader in the First Infantry Division. He survived mortar attacks, the Tet Offensive, and an AK-47 round through his chest — earning a Purple Heart, Bronze Star with V, and Army Commendation Medal with V. But the real battle started when he came home. He applied for VA disability. They said he was 'too well adjusted.' 📌 CHAPTERS 0:00 - "God, I Love This" — The Thanksgiving Firefight 1:45 - Identity Card: 1LT Repps B. Hudson 2:00 - Farm Boy from Missouri 5:00 - The Assassination That Changed Everything 8:00 - Enlisting in the U.S. Army 10:30 - Fort Leonard Wood — Basic Training 13:00 - Fort Ord — Testing the M16 15:30 - Officer Candidate School 18:30 - Fort Gordon — Training Officer 21:00 - Jungle Training in Panama 23:00 - Arrival in Vietnam — The Big Red One 25:30 - First Days in Country — Bodies on the Tarmac 28:00 - Thanksgiving 1967 — The Firefight 32:00 - The Heat of Battle — Red vs. Green Tracers 35:00 - Tet Offensive 38:00 - The Wound — April 3, 1968 40:30 - Recovery & Reflections 43:00 - Working for the Associated Press in Saigon 46:00 - Marriage & Return to Vietnam 49:00 - A Career in Journalism 52:00 - Returning to Vietnam with His Daughter, 1988 56:00 - Meeting Her Family 59:00 - Reflections on Service 1:02:00 - "Too Well Adjusted" — The VA Denial 1:06:00 - Working with Veterans 1:10:00 - Legacy & Lessons Historic Preservation & Educational Transformation Statement: This video represents an original historical document curated and produced by World War Heroes Chronicles. The raw historical audio source material has been substantially modified, structurally rearranged to prioritize educational narrative retention, and enhanced utilizing advanced audio isolation tools (Adobe Podcast) to ensure modern archival clarity. Original context, chronological chapter mapping, and custom synchronized sound design have been applied manually by our editorial team to transform this public record into a unique educational presentation. 📚 Books recommended for fans of veteran history: [ The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (Author) ] — [ https://amzn.to/495Y5Dh ] [ Born on the Fourth of July: 40th Anniversary Edition by Ron Kovic (Author) ] — [ https://amzn.to/4vNyn09 ] [ Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes (Author) ] — [ https://amzn.to/4t0GWlP ] [ Stolen Valor : How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History by B. G. Burkett (Author), Glenna Whitley (Author) ] — [ https://amzn.to/4vJBRki ] [ Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition) (Extreme Ownership Series, 1) by Jocko Willink (Author), Leif Babin (Author) ] — [ https://amzn.to/4eR4fea ] [ Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins (Author) ] — [ https://amzn.to/4w952xA ] [ The Shawn Ryan Show ] — [ https://a.co/d/09HIwGBL ] Support the channel by purchasing through these links. ──────────────────────────────── 🎖️ SUPPORT THE MISSION ──────────────────────────────── Please consider subscribing to help preserve these veteran records before they are gone forever. Your support keeps their sacrifices remembered. ──────────────────────────────── 📺 WATCH MORE VETERAN STORIES ──────────────────────────────── Full Interview Playlist: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO... ──────────────────────────────── 🎖️ ABOUT THIS CHANNEL ──────────────────────────────── World War Heroes Chronicles preserves the personal stories of American veterans from the Library of Congress Veterans History Project before they are lost to time. This is not just history. This is lived experience. Source Material Provided By: Veterans History Project American Folklife Center Library of Congress #WorldWarHeroesChronicles #VietnamWar #VeteranStories #MilitaryHistory #USArmy #Drafted #WarStories #LibraryOfCongress #VeteransHistoryProject #OralHistory #americanhistory