The Vietnam War is viewed as one of the most controversial and deadly conflicts in American history.
Millions of veterans served in that battle, one of them was a 19-year-old Mickey Amadeo.
Amadeo told Action 4 News that the decision to enlist was an obvious choice, he'd come from a military family and a humble upbringing.
He said at the time he knew it was the only way he receive get an education.
“They sent me a notice that said that I was going to be shipped to Vietnam,” said the now 62 -year-old.
Amadeo said they gave him 30 days to go home enjoy his free time at home before being deployed.
The New York native said he did just that, “I didn’t know if I was coming back or what was going to happen.”
The unknown scared the teenager but reality would soon hit even harder when he landed in Vietnam.
“The first day that I got there was a lot of bombing in the area… the plane landed and there was a lot stuff going on that day… of course I got a little scared."
Amadeo arrived at the peak of the Vietnam War in the late 1960's.
Lyndon B. Johnson was president and the conflict was beginning to be viewed in a negative light here in America but still the New York native had a job to do and orders to follow.
Amadeo recalled, “I saw some action that I really didn’t want to see… I saw some grotesque stuff that I really didn’t want to see.”
For the veteran looking back is still emotional especially recalling one particular event.
“It was on Mother’s Day they bombed the camp where I was at… we had about 175 wounded at that time fortunately we didnt have anybody killed at that time but it was one of the saddest days my time because it was on Mother’s Day… I picture a lot of mothers receiving bad news during that time.”
Over 50-thousand soldiers were killed in the Vietnam war, a couple of which were Mickey’s friends and colleagues.
For this G.I. it was enough to convince him to go back home and leave the service but his time off would be short lived.
He said at the time, they weren’t given a hero’s welcome instead they were being looked at as villains in a unpopular war.
“It was not my fault I did what I was told while I was there, I was not welcomed back home so I went back because I felt more welcomed in the military."
Amadeo ended up serving his country for another 22 years.
Now a days you can find the retired vet helping other service members.
He works as a representative for the Texas Workforce Commission in Edinburg counseling vets coming back home from war find normalcy and a good job.
He said he fully understands how many of them feel after his return back home from Vietnam.
After all Amadeo has been through in his 22 years of service, the soldier said he’s do it all over again.
He’s thankful the military took him around the world and taught him many valuable lessons.
“When you’re in the service -- you get to see how other countries do their business compared to the freedom we have here in the United States… so you really when you come back home you get to see and enjoy the freedom that you have."
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT