Neal Kopp

Neal Kopp was born in February 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. His uncle served in World War I, and his father and another uncle in World War II when his father was in a tank destroyer unit. Both Kopp and his brother Paul were drafted in 1966. Paul was discharged due to an eye issue, and Neal was drafted soon afterwards. 

When he was drafted, Kopp was working for the American Express company near Wall Street, as well as taking night classes towards a degree in accounting at New York City Community College. He was sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for basic and advanced infantry training. During his time at Fort Jackson, Kopp also attended leadership school and received corporal’s stripes on completion of the course. Before leaving for Vietnam, he went home on a twenty-day leave. His family was unaware of what was going on in Vietnam, so Kopp left after a rather unemotional goodbye.

Kopp left the country by plane from California, stopped in the Philippines, and finally arrived in Pleiku, Vietnam. From Pleiku, he traveled to An Khe and was assigned to Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Kopp joined his battalion in the field by helicopter. He recalled being really scared, since this was his first ride in a helicopter. “They don’t even close the doors!” Kopp exclaimed at the time. After spending time in helicopters, he concluded that sitting by the open doors with his feet hanging out was the best seat a soldier could get. When the helicopter turned in the air, force kept him inside.

Kopp went on a number of search and destroy missions while at An Khe. His battalion would go into nearby villages and look for anything that might benefit the enemy, and destroy it. During one of Kopp’s first missions, his rifle jammed during a firefight. He quickly reported the problem to his sergeant, who told him he should be keeping his rifle clean. When they advanced to the next hedgerow, Kopp ran in a zigzag motion yelling “Bang! Bang! Bang! Luckily no one shot at him, and his rifle was never dirty again.

For many men in Vietnam, mail was a pleasant part of the daily routine. Kopp wrote home to his mother and other family members frequently. He only wrote about good things, like what he did in his free time, or how the food was wherever he was stationed, to not stress or worry his family. After buying a camera on base, he sent film to his mother to be developed. After Kopp sent her a picture with the California state flag in it, she sent him back a New York state flag, with a letter from Governor Nelson Rockefeller thanking him for his service. He also wrote home about a homemade pepperoni that his friend Lou Perosi received in the mail. In return, his mother sent him two ten-pound boxes from Hebrew National filled with delicatessen delights. One of the things soldiers from the New York/New Jersey area missed most in Vietnam was good ethnic food.

Kopp eventually became his squad’s RTO, or radio telephone operator. It was his job to relay information to his mates and squad leader. He described the experience as a hard one. The radio weighed around 25 pounds. Kopp also had to carry antennas and extra batteries along with gear he might need in the field, such as water, extra ammunition, or grenades. He recalled being in excruciating pain that never got any better during his time as an RTO. The upside of this experience were the plastic bags that the batteries came in. Kopp was able to use these bags to keep his personal items dry, such as extra toilet paper, which was a valuable commodity out in the field. One night when he was in a foxhole, he heard enemy voices. They got closer, but Kopp didn’t want to radio the location in, due to the risk of them hearing him. Fortunately, they walked by without noticing.

Kopp said that for the most part, he was well supplied. There was, however, a certain type of blanket that went under a poncho that was almost impossible to get. He recalled young Vietnamese kids selling ice cold drinks by the roadside who were wearing those poncho liner jackets. Kopp explained that there were some enlisted men who would go into local towns and spend money after working 9-5 type positions like company clerks. These people were not combat soldiers, but they were still serving their country, said Kopp. To make quick cash, they would sell what they could, including those poncho liners. When Kopp returned home, he remembered seeing civilians with the same jackets, which were only possible to obtain from the military.

Kopp received his orders to return home with about 100 days left in his tour in Vietnam. He said that he was then referred to as a “short-timer” because of his small number of days left to serve, versus a “lifer” with a year or more to serve. Kopp’s return home date was February 28, 1968. He felt like the days couldn’t go by fast enough, especially since his unit was then deployed further north in an area he described as more dangerous than the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Kopp recalled the excitement of being able to go home and said: “I can count [the days] down on one hand. I can count them down on two fingers; I can’t wait.” When the time came, he said a quick goodbye to his squad and flew out of Vietnam to San Francisco. On his way home, Kopp heard about demonstrations against the war in the U.S. When he was leaving, he was told not to engage in any fights with civilians. On his way to the next plane flying to New York, a group of men spit at Kopp and the three other soldiers he was with. All they could do was ignore it.

Kopp was home for one month on leave and received orders to report to Fort Hood, Texas. He described this assignment as his worst experience in the military. Fort Hood was full of soldiers returning from Vietnam. Kopp said there wasn’t a lot to do while he was there, besides going to the movies or drinking on the lawn. He described some of the training as “playing war” which was something he didn’t want to do anymore, since he was no longer in Vietnam.

After his discharge, Kopp did not tell people he had served in Vietnam because of the social stigma implied at the time. For a long time, he was not eager to speak of his time in the service. Kopp described himself as “an ostrich with his head in the ground” during this time. He was, however, active with his sons’ Boy Scout troop. The troop helped gather things like hygiene products from the neighborhood on two different occasions to send to the troops fighting in Afghanistan. The soldiers in Afghanistan sent one of their American flags to the Boy Scout troop as thanks.

Kopp has attended many veterans’ group meetings, including a 2016 reunion in Paulding County, Georgia organized by Al Walker for Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Kopp, along with other veterans, received a police escort to the fictional town of YNOT. He remembered being very emotional during the whole bus ride. Kopp said around 800-1200 people come to the show that Walker puts on every year in his make-believe town. Kopp and his wife have gone to several events held here. During the reunion, wives of the veterans were all given roses. All the veterans were introduced, and the men from Delta Company 1/5 received a special introduction.

Kopp served on active duty from 1966-1968, plus another four years of inactive reserve time; he left the Army with the rank of sergeant. He received the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Army Air medal, a Vietnam Service badge with two bronze campaign stars, and several other awards.