When Claverack, NY, resident Charles K. Seymour II was a senior in high school, his class rank had dropped significantly from his junior year. Although he was accepted into the College of Basic Studies at Boston University, he was, as he puts it, “definitely not an academician,” and dropped out of school, “much to the chagrin of [his] well-educated parents.”

Throughout this period of low self-esteem, he was inspired by the prospect of joining the military. “At this time, when someone left school and was 18 years of age or older, their draft status changed from 2S to 1A,” Charles recalls. “This was due to the fact that the war in Vietnam had escalated. I thought that I might improve my credentials with my parents, and myself, if I signed up.”

Enlisting & experiencing Vietnam

Because of this military climate, Charles was intentional about the enlisting process. “Since I knew I would soon be drafted anyway, I thought the best services to be in would be the Air Force or Navy because there was more chance for training that would help with finding a job in the future rather than simply combat training.”

With this in mind, in late 1968, Charles enlisted in the Navy, following in the footsteps of his father, who was a WWII Navy veteran. He recalls, “When I was in boot camp, there was a push to recruit sailors into special forces groups. I was interested, so I volunteered.”

The training for these groups was rigorous and intense. However, the difficulty paid off, and Charles was accepted into a special forces team which was sent to join a counterinsurgency force in Vietnam.

“Our barracks were barges moored in the mouth of the Mekong River. Our main mission was to patrol the rivers, tributaries, swamps, and waterways that made up the Mekong Delta and North to intercept Viet Cong infiltrating South Vietnam,” he describes. “Sometimes a squad would be assigned to do long range reconnaissance patrols or search and seek rescue missions. But mainly we were in the Delta and North on the river.”

Charles completed two six-month tours in Vietnam, and by 1971, he says, “we were all out of that country.” But service had certainly taken its toll. “When it came time to reenlist, I got out. I had enough.”

Navigating the reverberations of war

Upon his return home, Charles notes that the psychological impact was so intense that it was difficult to connect with and love those he cared about very much, showing just how damaging war’s effects are, especially for someone so young. “What I did and saw while I was overseas had a huge effect on my 19- to 21-year-old psyche,” Charles admits.

And while he did finish college after coming back home, Charles only dabbled in his degree’s focus over time. Some of the skills he acquired while in the Navy were beneficial in getting jobs, but he observes a particular sense of transience in his post-war life that truly left its mark. “I never stayed in one job or one place for very long.”

While he’s met many people in the time since then, he acknowledges that he’s struggled to keep in touch with those he’s considered friends. “I will say for sure that I am blessed to be here today and to have the extended family I do. These are the people I can say that I truly love as much as I can.”

“The wonderful woman that is with me today puts up with many of my weird idiosyncrasies and makes sure I am well taken care of. She is my true love,” Charles shares. “I have wonderful children and grandchildren, sons and daughters in law, all of whom I am very proud. One of them is writing this article.”

To learn more about the United States Navy, visit its website here. To learn more about being a Navy SEAL, click here.