June 2007
CAPTAIN JOSEPH MAZUTA
Do you know the guy who is the title of this article? The husband of a high-school classmate of mine sent me a book, Vietnam Medal of Honor Heroes, by Edward F. Murphy. He too asked: “Who is Captain Joseph Mazuta?”
Leonard B. Keller and Raymond R. Wright were soldiers in my rifle company; they were awarded the Medal of Honor medal for their “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.” Before I commanded Co E, 50th Infantry/75th Ranger, I commanded the Company A, 3/60th Infantry. On 2 May 1967 we were engaged in an intense battle in the Ap Bac Secret Zone, a traditional Viet Cong stronghold. Murphy interviewed Keller and Wright about 15 years after the battle – long after they were discharged from the Army and went their separate ways. According to Murphy, Keller and Wright seldom spoke of their war experiences. It is my opinion that they remembered the sound of my last name during the interview. They phonetically spelled Matsuda as “Mazuta.” (Matsuda is phonetically spelled “Mazda” by the American auto industry. In the Japanese character, kanji, Matsuda and Mazda are the same.) “Joseph” came from their platoon leader, Lieutenant Joseph Pilcher; he recommended them for the Medal of Honor. Pilcher was one of the eye witnesses of their awe-inspiring heroism. How many soldiers can remember exactly the first and last name of their company commanders 15 years later after serving together for only six months?
In reading the article in Murphy’s book, it confirmed my notion about the diversity of perceptions by soldiers at different levels of a battle. Keller and Wright had some perceptions of the events leading up to the battle and during the battle which were different than what I remembered. However, there were some consistent recollections. Such is the nature of war. During our reunions, I am amazed and often amused by the differences in the “war” stories of the same fire fight.
In the Epilogue of Nine From The Ninth by Paul Newman, Bob Wallace and Jack Bick, it is written:
The ability to talk about the war reflects the attitude and ability of the veteran to cope with what the war did to him; and, maybe, what he did in the war. There are things we did, especially in our type of work that we choose to forget, or, maybe even to repress. But we talked about it, our role in it, what was important to us, what the impact was on us, and what it did to us. As a result, an impression of our involvement formed….
It was our war, our remembrances, our legacy. I congratulate each of you for your participation.