Born and raised in Oyster Bay, Jack Parente found himself drafted into the Army in 1967 and served in Vietnam from 1968-1970 as a member of a reconnaissance unit of the 1st Calvary Division. Today we hear his story courtesy of Christopher Verga, a Long Island historian who has been interviewing the area's veterans in order to document and preserve a generation of soldiers neglected in their own time.

This is the first in a series of episodes on the podcast. Working with Chris, we'll be bringing you further interviews and voices from Long Islanders involved with the war.

Further Research

• Vietnam: A Television History
• The Pentagon Papers
• Vietnam-era Anti-War Protests
• Vietnam Veterans of America
• Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists