A Soldier's Story: Memories from Vietnam

Sitting across a dining room table, Tony Schutty pulls a cigarette from a pack. “You don’t mind if I smoke do you?” he says as he cracks open a window. The unlit cigarette slides through his fingers and hits the table repeatedly as he talks about life as a soldier. The 60-something Newton native hasn’t talked publicly about Vietnam, where he spent a year of his life serving his country during one of the nation’s most tumultuous times. But a recent reunion between himself and a fellow soldier — Alan Rhoades (see story below) — who was in a helicopter crash with Schutty has brought him to a place where he can discuss his service. “I just don’t talk about it much. I guess the reunion means I’m supposed to talk about it,” the veteran said while