Before Donald Jernigan graduated from high school, he received a draft notice in the mail. Only a year later, he was in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. As an infantry man, Jernigan was a "grunt," a fighter. After his time in active combat, Jernigan dedicated his life to helping veterans, particularly African American veterans. He became the first African American Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Veterans Affairs. In this conversation, Jernigan discusses the experience of combat, of war as a young man, and the racial tensions that hung over him during the war.