Dennis Vernacchia, N6KI, was an active ham who was drafted by the US Army and sent to Vietnam at the height of the war in the late sixties. This is an amateur radio story where Army MARS, ham radio, and the skills acquired from the hobby literally saved his life. This situation and his relationship with a later prominent television comedian brought relief and comfort to American soldiers serving in Vietnam and their families. Dennis is an active contester and tells the rest of his story in this QSO Today.