"A lot of times, I would wake up in the middle of the night and it's like, I am still there."

50 years later and the memories are still fresh for Ollie Madrigale.

He served in Vietnam from 1971-1972 and his tour of duty took a major toll.

He told Erie News Now, "I pretty much lived in a bottle of alcohol and that lasted for a couple of years, every night."

Madrigale has never been to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. and he passed on The Wall That Heals when it visited Erie in May.

"I just felt like my name should be up there, instead of the people I knew. So, I don't feel right going there."

He turned his life around in the mid-70's.

He worked as a mechanic for over 35 years and he played in many local bands.

Ollie Madrigale continues to walk to his own beat.