McCarthy served his country as a sergeant in the Army in the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968. His basic training was at Fort Dix, N.J., before he shipped out first to Alaska from McGuire Air Force Base. We were drinking at a bar and this civilian who was working on the pipeline was bombed and said he wanted to go with us to Vietnam, said McCarthy, than laughed. We wrapped him in an overcoat and snuck him on the plane. . The pilot said he didn t have to pay for his flight over but had to pay for the return trip. It made the news.