Vietnam Voices: Thomas Bove

Thomas Bove, 61, Shirley, owner of an auto repair business

I'll always see 1969 as the greatest year of my life, the start of a great life. To appreciate that summer, you have to know that I served in Vietnam from 1967 through 1968, in the 1st Air Cavalry. I was drafted, and I did my duty and did it well. I was promoted to sergeant E-5 in less than two years. I'm not for war, but I would not run away from it. Sometimes it's necessary for democracy, for the safety of our own country. I feel I fought for the right reasons.

While over there, I saw a magazine with the 1968 Dodge Charger RT. All I could think about was getting that car and how many girls would fit into it. When I came back to Bethpage, I bought the car.

In the summer of '69, I was sitting at a friend's house watching the TV report of the moon landing, and wondering why I felt so empty. I had left to serve my country and came back to a different world. Now, I look back on that summer as the turning point. I was getting to know the woman who would become my wife. We didn't go to Woodstock - we went to Palisades Amusement Park. As a Vietnam vet, I saw Woodstock as an anti-establishment, hippie deal. And I started to live the rest of my life - the life after Nam. My business still exists today, that same woman has been my wife for 38 years, and we have two of the greatest kids around.