B Douglas Slack Profile

81 years old and completely retired from both the US Navy and Information Technology in general.  I have an account over on Booksie under the same author name.

I live in Ohio, near Dayton, and spend quite a bit of time sitting at my computer developing web sites and creating computer programs for my private clients.

Between 1963 and 1970 I spent 5 tours in Vietnam, or somewhere in the war zone. The rest of my navy career was mostly in the Far East - with one tour in the Azores (go figure) until I retired in 1980.

And, finally, I've been married for over 60 years.

A while back, I got to thinking about my experiences in Vietnam and wrote the story "The Gift of Life" in tribute to a couple of my friends. I spent 20 years in the service of my country and I'm damned proud of it.  In the '60's, I was looked on as something that crawled out from under a rock. But now, due to more enlightened public opinion, I wanted to do more than just talk about it.  In view of that, I display my "fruit salad", my medal bar, here for all to see.  It isn't bragging, it's simply pride in a job I did well.

If you're curious as to what they all mean, here you go (left to right & top to bottom):

Navy Unit Commendation (3 awards) : Meritorious Unit Commendation (3 awards)

Navy Good Conduct (4 awards @ 4 years each) : National Defense : Armed Forces Expeditionary

Vietnam Service Medal (4 awards of >120 days each) : Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal : US Navy Expert Rifleman

The scroll on the RVN Campaign Medal is inscribed "1960 -- " to signify it never really 'ended'.

Currently, I have two published novels, "You Only Love Twice" and "The Long Trek Home," both offered on Amazon under my username.

I have a short story which has been included in the anthology "Skitch-Bot," also available on Amazon.

Bill