Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse Army veteran Steven McQuain shows his array of medals received for his service in Vietnam.

EDITOR’S NOTE: To suggest a veteran for this series, which runs weekly through Veterans Day, email Metro Editor Marly Reichert at mreichert@tribtoday.com.

Steven McQuain

AGE: 73

RESIDENCE: Canfield

SERVICE BRANCH: Army

MILITARY HONORS: Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Civil Actions Medal, M-14 Rifle Medal, M-16 Expert Rifle Medal and a Unit Citation Award

OCCUPATION: Retired project engineer

FAMILY: wife, Debra; daughter, Andrea

CANFIELD — Army veteran Steven McQuain enlisted in 1969 to serve his country. Today, he continues to serve others as part of a VFW Honor Guard, handling multiple funerals weekly.

McQuain grew up in Boardman and graduated from Boardman High School in 1968. He went on to attend Penn Ohio Junior College in Youngstown to study engineering for the tool and die industry.

Coming from a strong military background, McQuain looked into enlisting. He said his father, Hugh McQuain, was a sergeant in the Army Air Corps, his grandfather, Adam McQuain, was a Marine in World War I and another grandfather, Gene Hensler, was in the Navy.

After just two semesters at Penn Ohio, McQuain dropped out to enlist.

“I thought I could pick my school, but that didn’t work out,” he said. “I wanted to go into missile logistics, but after being tested, I found out I was colorblind and couldn’t see green. So, one wire kept me out (of that program).”

McQuain said his other option was to enter the Quartermaster Corps. He went to Fort Jackson, N.C., to train on running a supply room for an entire company. From Fort Jackson, he was transferred to Fort Lee in Virginia for additional training in stock control and accounting. While at Fort Lee, he also received training as a special equipment repair parts specialist. At that time, he was promoted to private first class.

His final training took place at the Army Depot in Atlanta. He learned to drive trucks and other equipment, then was given two weeks of “Port of Arrival” training needed before heading to Vietnam.

“We learned how to survive in the swamps and what to look out for, like snakes,” McQuain said.

After the final training, McQuain received a leave to go home for Christmas. He enjoyed the holiday with his family, then left for Vietnam on Dec. 30, 1969.

“We left from Oakland, Calif., and traveled to Japan, spent a day in Japan and left for Saigon,” McQuain said. “When we arrived in Vietnam, I remember a big hangar. An announcement was made for anyone wanting to be in supplies to come forward. I didn’t hear the announcement and ended up at their mercy.”

McQuain got assigned to Headquarter Company, 36th Engineering Battalion, which was part of the 20th Engineering Brigade.

“They picked us up in trucks. There were only eight of us,” he said. “We traveled by night and none of us had any weapons. We finally arrived at HQ Company at Vinh Long Army Airbase and I was still not sure what I would be doing.”

McQuain said he was taken to a room in a makeshift building, was a given a small desk and a typewriter, and was told to handle personnel files. He was to serve as a clerk-typist.

“It took a couple months to learn the records system, then the company’s orders clerk got sent home and I got his position, which is what I wanted to do,” McQuain said. “My job was pretty important. I processed people and made sure they had their right orders. I would take orders from a fellow called ‘Snow White’, who I never got to meet.”

He said most of the men wanted to see him as he was responsible for the paperwork for soldiers heading home.

“I met some later in life who said they remembered me,” McQuain said.

He also helped with the company’s postal work, handing out the mail from home.

HQ handled a lot of paperwork, supplies and ordering. It was protected by the 1st Calvary and a helicopter outfit, but it was not exempt from attacks.

“Almost every month we would have a mortar attack,” he said.

The location also was a place full of mosquitos and other bugs.

“We had snakes and big bugs everywhere,” McQuain said. “I remember a big flying bug that was so soft we would hit it to the floor and it would get back up and keep flying. We slept with large mosquito nets over out beds to prevent getting bit up at night.”

In 1970, the U.S began troop reductions and McQuain headed home Dec. 6.

The 36th Engineering Battalion in Vietnam was responsible for building roads. That mission continued into 1971; then the whole outfit returned home, McQuain said.

At home, McQuain was promoted to specialist 4th class (E4) and ordered to report to Fort Hood, Texas. His assignment was to the 12th Personnel Administration Combat Detachment with the 3rd Corps. The detachment was set up to handle personnel records from the whole area, using a new ‘Basop’ computer system.

“We took personnel records and put them on big (magnetic) tape rolls for the computer,” he said. “I served as the company’s clerk. I did morning reports and handled leaves. It was a nice job, but it only lasted around four months, then the detachment disbanded.”

During his time in Texas, McQuain was promoted to E5.

At the end of 1971, McQuain got his honorable discharge and returned home to civilian life. His old teacher from Penn-Ohio gave him a job working in tool and die design, and after three years he got hired at General Fireproof Furniture Systems. He put in 15 years in design for office furniture.

“This was what I wanted to do,” McQuain said.

During that time, McQuain married and settled down in Canfield with his wife, Debra.

When GF started closing, McQuain tried going on his own, but ended up being hired by Heinz Manufacturing in Austintown, where he designed tooling. He stayed with that job until six years ago when he officially retired.

Today, McQuain keeps busy with various veterans groups. He is a member of Springfield VFW Post 2977, is a member and serves on the color guard for American Legion Post 177, and is on the honor guard for VFW Post 9571 in Ellsworth.

“I do every funeral with the honor guard. It’s just a high honor for me to do these,” he said. “We average over 200 funerals per year.”

He said those funerals cover northeast Ohio.

McQuain is also a member of the Mahoning Veterans Memorial and is a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He works a tent at the Canfield Fair and is ready to help his fellow veterans.

“I suffer from Agent Orange,” he said. “I take nine different pills for my heart. I encourage any veteran who hasn’t gone to the VA and been checked out to do so.”

McQuain also has purchased a special bugle to play taps at the funerals. Later this year, he will play taps and lay wreaths on Veterans Day at Berlin Center Cemetery.

jtwhitehouse@vindy.com