"Anyone remember any good times we all had in VN or any of the bad times we had while there?"

There were good times, of course- I ran into a high school buddy at 71st Evac, and ended up with him and his family in Hawaii for two weeks -got "bumped" (HONESTLY) at Honolulu, and had to stay another eight days..

Hokey as it may sound, I wouldn't trade my tour for anything on this planet, and I had it nothing --NOTHING-- at all like you guys where were "out there".
Sure, for those of us who supported you guys from the "dugout" there were little yellow men at a fair distance addressing a little "to whom it may concern", but they almost always had the wrong address; during my tour, I only knew of about three or maybe four losses which occurred ON Holloway.

I "shared the joys of fatherhood" with my roomie for the last half of my tour, Dane Juarez, a draftee. Dane had a two-week old daughter, Jennifer, when he arrived in Pleiku. His wife, Diane, and their parents wrote to me, letters, birthday cards, "care" packages -

I promised Dane that if could possibly do it on my way home, I'd visit his family in 'Frisco. I was fortunate to be able to, and to me, it was like a homecoming for him. I held the daughter he hadn't seen in six months, and assured his wife and their parents that Dane would come home ok. I was just so fearful that he would be an unlucky one, and not do so.

We all stayed in touch for a couple of years, and I don't remember how we lost contact. I've been
searching for them all since. I still have their postcards, letters and photos. They were my "welcome home" before I even left Holloway.

I remember hearing about a Marine several years after 'Nam who returned missing an arm, and was, of course, separated from the Corps. He traveled to his home of record in dress uniform, and was approached in a bus station by some idiot who asked him if he had lost the arm in 'Nam. As the story went, the Marine confirmed that he had; the low-life then said something like - "serves you right, baby-killer"....Damn his ignorant soul.

Tom P- when I read your thoughts about about Baker yesterday, I lost it. It was like my first visit to The Wall. I think I've cried more since I got online than I did from birth to age ?? (whenever it is we "normally" "stop crying"...and there are times when the tears don't flow, but DAMN, it hurts.

I know we've all had our own unique experiences, but as I went down the walkway from the East end to panel 42 West, to see a Brother on line 22, I had tunnel vision so badly I could hardly see. The field outside that tunnel was as if I had just taken about a week's worth of some all-powerful psychedelic. I had a fearful buzz all around me, and I FELT the music- "something's happening here- what it is ain't exactly clear...."

I have another old high school bud who had two birds shot out from under him. Maybe that's not even "average" for a tour, but I thank my lucky stars I'm not him.

I've gotta say, Bros- I'm one lucky SOB... I haven't had a bad dream, YET.