I Survived the Vietnam War, Now I’m Enlisted with Jesus

Fred Saldana was a US Marine during the Vietnam War whose platoon saw intense combat during the Tet Offensive and other significant battles throughout the war. Wounded many times and awarded multiple Purple Hearts, Fred eventually left the Marine Corp full of bitterness, trauma, and anger. For years afterwards he searched for meaning, and ultimately encountered Christianity. In this episode, Fred tells his story of coming to Christ and eventually coming to the belief in nonresistance.

Disclaimer: We want to note that there is no official confirmation from the Marine Corp that Fred Saldana is the Marine in the iconic cover photo of LIFE magazine. As Fred himself notes in this interview, in the fog of war it’s impossible know for certain. We leave it up to listeners to make what they will of Fred Saldana’s story and his conclusion that he is the Marine in this infamous photo. We encourage listeners to compare Fred’s Marine portrait with the LIFE magazine cover and draw their own conclusions.