Scope and Contents

One folder of correspondence, a safe conduct pass, a newspaper clipping, and 39 photographs detail Mendell Schellin's service in the 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry, 5th Infantry Division, 1969 - 1970. Correspondence dates from the war-era and is written to his father and aunt. Each letter describes the various photographs in his collection and details the terrain of his service, the types of Army equipment and artillery used during the period, and the overall life of an average infantryman. The newspaper clipping dates post-war and details Schellin's war experiences and his opinions on political aspects of the war, the North Vietnamese, and the media coverage of the war.

Biographical / Historical

Mendell Schellin was born in Lubbock, Texas and graduated from Monterey High School. Schellin served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Vietnam during 1969 and 1970. He was a Forward Observer (FO) and Fire Direction Officer (FDO) for the 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Infantry Division. His entire tour of duty took place near the DMZ in operations near Quang Tri and Con Thien. On April 21, 1970, Schellin was slightly wounded by a booby trapped grenade. After Vietnam, Schellin returned to the U.S. and served one year with the Army at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. After his discharge from the Army in 1971, Schellin returned to Lubbock.