38-year Legion member was drafted but not sent overseas.



Just a year out of high school, David Matthews saw his birthday selected, and the 19-year-old from Newtown expected to be the second man in his family to serve his country overseas. Luckily for Matthews, a trip to the airport changed his life’s course.

“When I was drafted, I really didn’t realize what I was getting into,” said Matthews. “You didn’t know anything about what was going to happen. What you learned in the past had nothing to do with what was going to happen in the future.”

Matthews’ father served in the Navy on the U.S.S. Trumpeter during World War II, and took him to the bus stop before he headed to Fort Dix for basic training. Knowing that his father had seen the horrors of war, Matthews could see in his father’s face that he was heading into the unknown.

“I could see in his eyes that I could be in for trouble,” said Matthews. “I didn’t know what was ahead of me.”

After going through training at Fort Dix, Matthews was sent to Fort Meade. While waiting for his orders, he received a weekend pass, but instead of going home, he was assigned a task that would save him from going to Vietnam, and also put him in position to find out a secret order that would spare the lives of thousands of draftees.

“I had to go to the airport to pick up a three-star general,” said Matthews. “I was disappointed that I was going to the airport and all of these people were heading all over the world, but I couldn’t go anywhere.”

Matthews said that he and the general did not hit it off immediately, but they formed a solid relationship, which resulted in Matthews heading to West Point instead of Vietnam.
“I always dressed nicely, with a spit-shine on my boots, and this general comes off the plane in dungarees,” said Matthews. “I thought he would arrive in full uniform with all of his medals. It was an uncomfortable ride back to the base, but the next day we went flying in a helicopter and ended up hitting it off. He asked me to be his chauffer.”

Matthews said that he saw this as a great opportunity, but wasn’t sure if he could accept the general’s offer. That’s when the general let Matthews in on a secret that thousands of draftees would have loved to find out.

“I was joking with the general that I didn’t have my orders yet, but he said not to worry about it because he knew that nobody else was going to be sent over,” said Matthews. “I couldn’t tell anyone about it, but he let me know that anybody who was over there had to stay, but the rest of us wouldn’t have to go. You could say I got very lucky.”

Matthews went with the general to West Point, and helped with “sneak attacks” on the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

“They were out on training missions, and we would have to sneak up on them as if we were the enemy,” said Matthews. “We actually did catch them off guard a few times.

Matthews left the Army in 1973, and took some of his training home with him. While at Fort Meade, Matthews became part of the firing squad to honor fallen soldiers when they came home.
He has continued this tradition while as a member of the American Legion Post 440.

Matthews has been a member of Post 440 for 38 years, and will take over as the Post Commander in September, a position his father held in the 1950s.

“When I was eight years old, I got the job of raising the flag in the morning and taking it down in the afternoon,” said Matthews. “I’m a 38-year member of the post. The building was built to honor veterans, and I’d like to help keep it alive.”

During his time in the Army, Matthews was awarded the Expert Medal for rifle and grenade training, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Cold War Service Certificate.