COL (R) Ken Carlson grew up in a Military Family. His father was in the Army (USMA ’31), and his older brother graduated from the Military Academy in 1961. For two years during his childhood, his family lived in Saigon, when his father was assigned to the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam, from 1957-1958. Ken Carlson reported to the Military Academy in 1962 and played basketball for one year for Bobby Knight. As a Firstie, he branched Armor and sought an assignment to Germany. He wanted the Berlin Brigade, but first had to convince his classmate Wes Clark to select Munich. After assignment in Berlin as a tank Platoon Leader and as a General’s Aide, he was assigned to Vietnam where he commanded A Troop, 4th Squadron, 12th Cavalry in the I Corps region, supporting the Marines. After Vietnam, he became an instructor in the Department of Social Sciences. Throughout his career, Ken Carlson was involved in teaching and education. He helped develop the School of Advanced Military Studies and served as Professor of Strategy at the National War College in Washington. COL Carlson retired in 1992. In his post-Army career, he worked as an investment banker. In this interview, he discusses his deployments to Germany and Vietnam, his experiences while at graduate school at Princeton, and a chance encounter with Dr. Henry Kissinger in Paris.