Show notes
Paul Colliton grew up on Long Island in a military family, named after a B-24 bomber pilot who never came home. He was drinking since age six, working on Wall Street at 18, and heading to Harlem for drugs by noon. Then the draft letter arrived.In this episode of Ask A Vet, Paul shares what it was really like to become a Military Police officer in Vietnam in 1971. From being pulled out of basic training and told he had the highest IQ on base, to patrolling the city of Hue at 19 years old with zero instructions, to coming face to face with 15 enemy soldiers at twilight and choosing not to fire. He talks openly about heroin addiction in-country, racial tension on base, the 15-year-old Vietnamese girl he couldn't save, a gut-wrenching Dear John letter, and hitchhiking home from JFK in his dress greens after being spit on.But Paul's story doesn't end in Vietnam. It winds through a near-jump from a 31st-floor balcony, 39 years of sobriety, a chance encounter with Muhammad Ali, and the adoption of his autistic son Billy. EPISODE CHAPTERS: 01:45 Paul's Background & Getting Drafted09:00 Basic Training, MP School & Heading to Vietnam19:00 The Flight Over: Engine Falls Off Over Alaska21:00 Arriving In-Country: Cameron Bay, Da Nang & Hue27:30 Life on Patrol: Drugs, Racial Tension & the Enemy Up Close35:00 The Hardest Moment of the War49:30 Refusing an Order, Getting Busted & Coming Home1:01:00 The Welcome Home: JFK Airport & a Punch in the Face1:05:00 Europe & Building a Photography Career1:29:00 Rehab, AA & Starting Over at 361:37:00 Photographing Muhammad Ali & a Moment They Both Cried1:47:00 Adopting Billy 2:18:30 Final Reflections: What Vietnam Made Him🎙️ Ask A Vet is dedicated to documenting and preserving veterans' stories — in their own words, on their own terms, before their stories are gone forever.If you believe these stories matter, please subscribe, like, comment, and share. Your support helps us preserve the voices of those who served.👉 If you’re a Veteran struggling with VA benefits, click this link to schedule a free consultation: https://crm.zoho.com/bookings/YourFreeConsultationwithAskaVetMedGroup?rid=e9b38e78cb91065c1fe320a7ded78fbd8bba8f49d0461551777fc2994529c25a57fa5b8c5b5a0967c3c2b0d295b2b223gid8b25e599eed0bfe92c1438b980632c02b6ed9488ec5e11f8c6677be7ffc43cecDisclosure: This is a referral partnership with American Medical Experts. We may receive compensation if you book through our link.✈️ Ask A Vet is proud to partner with Utah Honor Flight, part of the National Honor Flight Network — giving veterans a free trip to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor. To learn more or donate, visit utahonorflight.org or find your local hub at honorflight.org.
