Mike Chiarelli grew up like most of the other guys that participated in the battle for Ripcord. He wasn't planning on entering the armed services any sooner than needed and was thinking how he would live his life once out of high school.

Mike was raised on Long Island, New York, where he graduated from high school in 1967. While attending a nearby barber college in 1969, he received his draft notice and all his plans took a two-year detour. Upon graduation Mike was inducted and shipped out to Fort Jackson for basic training and later AIT. From there he was sent to Aberdeen, MD where he qualified with the .45 every day for three weeks. Then the Army decided Chiarelli needed to learn to drive tanks in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Here he enjoyed many good experiences with Vietnam Veterans who treated and taught him well. As expected he received orders for Vietnam. Mike hadn't thought much about going to Vietnam until he told the veterans about his assignment. They didn't say much but gave him this strange look when he mentioned his orders. Once he got in country he had a better understanding of what that look meant.

In March of 1970 he left Oakland, flew to Hawaii and landed in Cam Ran Bay. Here he discovered he was assigned to the 101st. He assumed there must be a mistake because he was not airborne qualified. If he's going to be jumping from airplanes he figured he was as good as dead. Only later did some one clue him in that the 101st was now airmobile and you weren't expected to jump with a parachute. No one mentioned or knew that this was the outfit that was to see most of the fighting over the next four months.

By early April he was deemed ready to join Bravo 2/506. Someone got him on a helicopter at Camp Evans and he was soon dropped into a jungle opening where he met his new friends. As a new guy he was fortunate because the fellows of his squad made sure he learned how to adjust his ruck-sack and all the other little things that help you survive and tolerate the heat and the jungle.

The first action he saw was in the area of Hill 805. Bravo combat assaulted into a hot LZ (landing zone). Mike jumped out of the helicopter with bullets hitting the ground around him. He ran and rolled out of the LZ and sought cover behind a tree as he fired his M-16. Soon, Cobras came zipping in firing as they went. This was enough for the NVA who immediately left the hill. As Bravo pushed up onto the hill, a bolt of lightning hit the hill; Mike and a number of others were knocked to the ground. At first they thought they had been hit by artillery but there were no wounds. Mike's legs were numb for about 30 seconds before returning to normal. After that, the company set up a NDP (night defensive position) on the same hill they had just chased off NVA. Each of the four nights they stayed on the hill they got hit by the NVA. Captain Williams, the company commander, had "Puff" over head many nights to help keep the enemy at arms length. One night Mike found himself on LP (listening post) with a radio and two others. They had been out there awhile when an RPG swooshed by their position and went off. That was enough for Mike and the men of the LP. They rushed back to the NDP hollering anything they could think of so as not to get shot by the other Bravo boys.

It was while on Ripcord that the men of Bravo Company began to make use of Mike's skills as a barber. Even today Ripcord survivors talk about the guy who gave haircuts while the customer sat on artillery ammo boxes. Mike managed to keep down and out of harms way long enough to get ready for the evacuation of Ripcord on the 23rd of July. As he and others were burning equipment in preparation for the move, an explosion from gasoline and a trip flare seared Chiarelli's face leaving him with second-degree burns on half of his face. However, he and the others were in such a rush to get on the chopper and leave the firebase, he didn't feel or notice the burns. Back at Camp Evans he got off the chopper and was grabbed by a medic who quickly sent him to the hospital for treatment. It was only then that he realized how badly he was burned.

After healing he was assigned to the fire direction center of a mortar unit on Firebase Kathryn. Compared to Ripcord this was heaven. He spent his R&R in Bangkok and managed to get a 30-day drop so he left country early.

A few years after returning he married, started his own barber shop and helped raise three children who have just about all grown and moved on with their lives. He still enjoys the company of the same wife after 26 years but now cuts hair by appointment only without the headache of running ten-person shop.

The Ripcord reunions are the only place you can get your hair trimmed by Mike Chiarelli without an appointment!

Mike was awarded the Bronze Star with 1 oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, and the Army commendation medal with CIB.