Ralph Shrigley was one of those who zigged when he should've zagged during war.

Shrigley was wounded four times as a tank platoon leader in the Army during the Vietnam War, but he's quick to say that only two of those times "counted."

"Only two of the times required skilled medical attention," the Spirit Lake man said. "The others didn't count because it was just small pieces of shrapnel that only took tweezers, a bandage and antibiotics."

Both of the more serious incidents were the result of near misses by rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), but neither were life-threatening.

In one of the blasts, Shrigley was blown out of the tank and he landed with his rear stuck in the turret with both his hands and feet sticking out.

"When I saw both my hands and feet, I thought 'This can't be too bad,'" he said. "Then the first thing my medic said to me was 'Oh sh--.' That's never what you want hear from a medic, but my crotch was soaked in blood. When he cut my pants open, he said, 'All present and accounted for, Lt. (lieutenant).

"My doctor told me that I was the happiest guy to come off the medical helicopter that day."

All of the soldiers in Shrigley's platoon survived the war.

"I'm very proud of the fact that I got all my kids home," he said. "It's the most important job I've ever had."

Memorial Day, for Shrigley, isn't a time of celebration and festivals, although family time is important.

The holiday is a time for him to remember those who have passed, whether it was during the line of duty or not. His eyes immediately tear up thinking about it.

"Memorial Day is more private for me," said Shrigley, who is an active member of the Fort Sherman Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans and president of the local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. "It's more quiet and remembering people I knew who were killed during war."

What is your background?

I'm the oldest of four kids and grew up in Rootstown, Ohio. I was more interested in what was out of school than in school. I was an Eagle Scout, a lifeguard and have always been a book worm. I read a lot of history, adventure and on World War II.

Why the interest in World War II?

My father (James) was an infantry squad leader during World War II. He landed in Europe a few weeks after D-Day (the first day of the Invasion of Normandy). I was named after his older brother who was a pilot and killed in an aircraft crash in the U.S. during World War II.

How much of a factor was your dad's military experience with you going into the Army?

It sparked my curiosity about things military. (My dad) was not a strong supporter of war and was very concerned about getting his life going afterward and taking care of his kids. He focused on a lot of other things than his military experiences. The way he loved his children and my mother was certainly a strong influence on how I grew up morally and ethically. But we had different personal interests. He was not pleased when I decided to go into the Army.

What made you decide to join the Army then?

It was largely a desire for public service and adventure. I found Rootstown (Ohio) to be confining. I wanted to see places that I read about in history books. As it turned out, I served in both Germany and Japan.

What was your mission(s) as a tank platoon leader in Vietnam?

I ran the convoy security and land-clearing operations northwest of Saigon. I spent a lot of time helping move supplies, people and fighters from Cambodia to the Saigon area. The way I saw it, (in the tank) I was in 54 tons of potential shrapnel waiting to be sent in motion. I seemed to collect a lot of it. The colonel called me magnet ass one time.

How did you deal with being injured multiple times?

For awhile, I couldn't decide if I was unlucky because I kept getting hit or if I was lucky because I didn't get killed. But I decided on the latter.

What was being a platoon leader like?

My platoon was five tanks, and I was responsible for the lives of 15 to 30 young Americans. It was an amazing weight of responsibility for someone who was 24. I think the fact that I had put myself through college, was married, had a son and another on the way made me more mature and helped me deal with the effects of that responsibility. That experience made me a better person, but I certainly wouldn't want to go through with it again.

How often did you move around during your military career, which also included working in intelligence, as a Japanese linguist, at the U.S. embassy in Tokyo and in Northeast Asia affairs?

My wife and I have moved 30 times. Spirit Lake is home No. 30. A lot of the moves were Vietnam-driven - school and troop assignments.

What is the Military Officers Association of America and how are you involved with that group?

I'm president of the Spokane Chapter, which has nearly 400 members and 20 to 25 percent are from North Idaho. We get together for luncheons and invite guest speakers, but we also see ourselves as the caretakers of soldiers in the national defense policy. We sponsor legislation that makes sure our troops who are serving or have served continue to be taken care of. We are extremely concerned about the current budget crunch. We spend a great deal of effort communicating with the administration and Congress that military benefits are not entitlement programs. These are benefits earned by great folks through years of arduous and many times hazardous service. Surprisingly, it's a difficult message to get across when a small percentage of our population is military.

Why are you also involved in the Fort Sherman Chapter of the DAV?

Our motto is veterans taking care of veterans. We raise money to buy vans to ensure our veterans get to the Spokane VA Medical Center and we provide gifts for military families at Christmas. It's both heart-breaking and much appreciated. When we delivered presents to a Marine and his six children, you should have seen the look on those kids' faces. It was wonderful.

How do you think we're doing with remembering the sacrifices our military, emergency responders and others make?

I'm very thankful for the service of our young men and women, but I don't believe there are enough people who really understand what they go through. I believe a small proportion of our elected leaders are able to empathize with their sacrifices - and there are many.