I spent Sunday afternoon 06/23/02 with Eugene Touchstone in Crystal Lake Il. We shared photos, stories, and memories of you, whom we served with. There were moments when I lapsed into my old persona, of chuckling at the horrors of those days, and savoring the bonds formed with those I had the privileged to serve alongside.

Eugene and family are doing well, living the American heartland dream. Three doges, nice house, toys in the garage, wife, dinamic16 year old son, and a vivid Vietnam legacy, what more could a guy ask for?

My daughter Bianca, now 27 also made this trip with me. She began asking Vietnam related questions immediately after the end of our visit with Eugene. The questions she asked had never been asked before. Like "How many personnel were in the aircraft, and what the hell where you gays doing". Taking into consideration she spent the night with a friend in Chicago drinking till sunrise, the answers I gave may or may not have taken root. Never the less the answers I gave were (surprisingly) hard to contrive. I mean really, what is the difference between flying cover for an insertion, and hunting for the fun of it? Sorting out the differences between my time in the slicks and my time in the guns, and the related duties was difficult. Making sense of it all was not as straightforward as I though it would be. I endured the rigorous questioning.

A quandary surrounding my relationship with Bianca became evident. As often as I have talked about Vietnam around her, she really had no concept of what we were doing. I stopped dead in my tracks having to ask myself, “did I really have a clear grasp on the situation myself”.

Eugene whished you all well, and sends his regrets for not being able to attend the reunion this summer.