Last Man Out

When the last U.S. military unit left South Vietnam on the last plane carrying American servicemen, an Army lieutenant from Livonia, Mich., served as an honor guard to bring back the unit's colors.

Ist. Lt. Paul R. Pillar '69, a member of the 90th Replacement Battalion, stood by his unit's flag until the battalion was officially inactivated at a ceremony at the U.S. Army Personnel Center, Oakland, Calif.

Pillar entered the Army in 1971. He had served in Vietnam since April of last year. After getting his A.B. degree at Dartmouth he was commissioned through ROTC. Lt. Pillar also holds a bachelor of philosophy degree from Oxford University, England.

During the last two days of troop withdrawal from Vietnam, the 90th Replacement battalion had processed out the remaining American military men of all services.

When the door closed on the plane carrying the men of the 90th, the door officially closed on U.S. involvement in Vietnam.