Message Forum

This message is for Sandy Buckley Matthews! I got a notice that you posted info on our message forum and if you did you must not have hit submit because the message is not here.

08/17/17 03:47 PM

#833

Sharon, for some reason that I don't understand, the message is on MY personal profile page - however, I've already had a response from Don Leach, so it got viewed by him at least. the message is about our address change and move to Greenville, NC later this month. SORRY ?!?!?!?!

08/18/17 07:27 AM

#834

Sharon,

This just might be me but I seem to have two class sites. One on my cell phone and one on my personal computer.

The same format but different messages. For example, some class mate messages appear only on my cell phone site and other class mate messages appear only on my personal computer site.

Took me a while to figure it out so I always check both sites to stay up to date.

Bill

08/18/17 11:10 AM

#835

Cyndy Day (Savage)

Bill might be onto something Sharon because I got Sandy's and saw Don's response. I changed thier address in the reunion booklet, so kudos to Bill Orr; I think he's onto something. Thanks again for all you do Sharon, the web site is a wonderful connection for all.

08/22/17 03:34 PM

#836

Brad Wiedmann

David Kutcher asked me to say thanks to all who wished him a Happy Birthday. He said he was having difficulty with the website

09/07/17 08:30 AM

#837

Here's hoping that our classmates and friends in Florida are out of harms way.

Jean and I spent a lot of time in Florida especially the Ft Lauderdale area. Also Naples, and Key West. Could tell you about the time we accidentally visited Key West at Halloween. What a surprise for two Iowa nativies. I've never seen so many nude people in my life. Enough said.

Again stay safe,

Bill

09/08/17 05:12 PM

#838

Looks like Marco Island is taking a direct hit. Sharon tuck in and take care.

09/09/17 06:51 AM

#839

For all of you classmates who either live fulltime in Florida or spend your winters there, may God spare your homes or condos - thinking especially of Sharon & Moundy Nabulsi, who spend almost 6 month a year in Marco Island and Terry & Margaret Noonan, who spend 3 months in the winter in Naples. Our youngest son, Joe, and his family live east of Jacksonviile, FL in Atlantic Beach - their home is just 1 block off the ocean !!!! They evacuate today and we pray they have a home to return to that isn't knee high in water and has a roof !!!! Meanwhile, we leave for Boston later today for a 2 week small ship cruise through New England, up to Bar Harbor, Maine and 8 different ports in between, plus south to New Port, RI, Martha's Vineyard and Nantuckette. At least we are heading NORTH on American Cruise Lines new ship - 190 passengers - the US Constellation.

09/09/17 06:52 AM

#840

So sorry for misspelling Moudy's name - typing tooooooo fast this morning !

09/09/17 11:47 AM

#841

Cyndy Day (Savage)

We have the area on our prayer list at church and I have spoken w/several close friends who live there, many evacuated, a couple who decided to ride it out. Houston of course is still battling, so prayers are for them as well.

09/10/17 11:54 AM

#842

Marcia Conley (Davis)

I am praying for all my family, friends and classmates who reside in the path of IRMA. I spent many vacations in the Keys. Miami. Tampa and Daytona and love Florida. A place I would go back to every year if it wasn't so far to travel so Hawaii gets more of my vacation time than Florida. I hope everyone has found shelter and safety. But, let us not forget and continue praying for HARVEY victims and their recovery. I am counting my blessings that I live in California and only have to think about an occasional earthquake. GOD BLESS EVERYONE and GOD BLESS AMERICA!

09/11/17 05:49 PM

#843

Hi Everyone: Just to let you all know that we are in Iowa not Marco Island so we missed Hurricane Irma. The word we have today is that our building and condo are okay. I will believe it when I see it.

Sandy Keith, I want you to know that I changed your email so all is good with your profile.

Enjoy this beautiful Fall people. The Canadian Geese are already flying south over our house so I suspect that means Winter is just around the corner.

Happy Thanksgiving and Christmas to all of you!

09/22/17 08:10 AM

#844

Linda Kirchner (Schrader)

Sharon,

Glad to hear that you are safe and your Condo survived.

Changing subject. I have been watching the PBS Vietnam series and it has brought back raw memories. The one this Sunday evening will cover my Vietnam experiences. I was the Artillery Forward Observer attached to Charlie Company 1st BN Seventh Calvary during Hue, Kae Sahn, A Shau Valley, Fishhook and Ton La Shaun Special Forces Camp on the Cambodian border. Hue was the worst. We went in with 92 men, all we could muster, and 13 of us came out. We were caught in a open rice paddy by a Brigade of North Vietnamese. Enough said.

My family was surprised for they had no knowledge of my experience.

My overall Military experience was good and gave me a great education. In fact my last job was teaching future generals at the Army's Command and General Staff College.

It's good to vent.

Bill

09/23/17 07:18 AM

#845

WOW BILL ORR.......I am very impressed with your military life. I, like your family, had no idea what all you had experienced in Southeast Asia. Thank you for serving your country. We've been friends for 70 years, am very proud of you. You deserve so much respect, you have mine. Thanks again.......

09/23/17 12:35 PM

#846

Brad Wiedmann

Bill Orr, Thank you for your service.

09/23/17 12:57 PM

#847

Marcia Conley (Davis)

Bill, So Impressive! So many Vietnam Vets don't get the respect they should. Thank you for your service.

09/23/17 04:02 PM

#848

Carole Narigon (Wilson)

What an experience you had. Thank you for your service. Ive always wondered how many of our classmates experienced Vietnam. Missed the PBS series but will be watching tonight!

09/23/17 06:03 PM

#849

Jerry Rees

Bill,

Regarding your Viet Nam experience, I have to ditto what the others have said. I remember the last time I saw you and talked to you before we separated for 50 years was during a Christmas/New Years holiday when you told me you would be deployed to Viet Nam in the new year. You will have to remind me what year that was. For half a century, I remembered that conversation and wondered if you survived and returned home. I am glad you did and reached out to me about a year ago to invite me the the 55th class reunion. I missed seeing you there, but understand why. Maybe we can meet again someday somewhere in the middle.

09/24/17 10:48 AM

#850

Bill Orr - I know many of our classmates had time in Viet Nam, but certainly didn't realize the extent of your involvement ! I have recently been reading some books about the President Kennedy and LBJ years and also about Robert McNamara and it's given me a much broader base of information about those years leading up to the USA's involvement in Viet Nam. As the other classmates have expressed, thank you for your years of service ! Bill only had a relatively short time in his 4 years in the Navy pulling duty off the coast of Viet Nam in the Gulf of Tonka in 1965, but was so blessed to have had his acceptance to the University of Iowa in late 1965 - that's what kept him from being "involuntarily extended" by the Secretary of the Navy in mid-August 1965, when all technical personnel were affected - he was a radar repair specialist on his destroyer escort radar ship, the USS SAVAGE DER 386.

I hope to watch the PBS series this evening to learn more about where you were.

Sandy & Bill Matthews

09/25/17 09:26 AM

#851

Cyndy Day (Savage)

Following the crowd but I have to say thank you too for your service Bill.

09/25/17 11:08 AM

#852

hi everybody! This is directed to Bill Orr! I too thank you for your service and by chance I was watching the Vietnam show by Ken Burns and was so moved by what I saw! I can't imagine what you endured and am so grateful that you were a survivor! I opposed that war at the time and still think President and Johnson and McNamara were wrong in keeping USA involved for so long! I thank you humbly for your service to our great country and pray that Trump does not involve us in another war with North Korea! God BLess you Bill and all of our VETS including but not limited to Charlie LaFrenz, Jerry Rees, Bill Matthews, Alexandra Keith and any others from the Class of 1961. 👏👏👏👏❤️💋

09/26/17 05:35 AM

#853

Thanks all!

I have one more thing that has been on my mind for so long. If you are particularly sensitive please delete this.

It goes like this.

Shortly arter the NVA waxed us the remainder of C/1/7 was attached to Delta company and occupying the SW Corner of Hue just outside of the old city. We received an order to proceed approximately 10 KM to a small village and secure it.

As we approached the village a terrible smell filled the air. Cpt Nichols sent two men in and they called back to report but couldn't - they were sobbing. We pushed in and found a massacure of women and children. The political cadre of the NVA had taken the families of the South Vietnamese soldiers and killed them.

They took one family at a time, bayonetted the woman in the heart and then crushed in the heads of her children as they lay next to her. There were approximately 150 bodies.

We were ordered to secure the site until a complete photographic record could be made. In the mean time several troopers moved to the Northern end of the village and were ambushed by a large number of NVA.

We lost 8 KIA and 4 wounded. The log bird took out the wounded and 4 KIA. In the mean time I fired 500 rounds of artillery on the enemy and 75 rds of Naval gunfire. As darkness fell we were ordered to move to a more secure location 8 KM away. I helped carry one body for the entire night march in rice paddies. When we got to the secure position we made sure our dead were properly respected and then went to sleep in a hog barn on a pile of hog shit.

None of this was ever reported or discussed in official reports although I know it was completely photographed.

Just had to get it off my mind.

Bill

09/26/17 05:50 PM

#854

Judi Perry

Bill -

thanks, so much for your service. And to alll others you gave their time & service to our wonderful country. We have many friends who spend time in Viet Nam and other locations. We will be going to San Diego in a few weeks with friends of ours ( Navy Sea Bees) for their annual reunion. We have frends that have invited us to this annual reuion. one of the guys we have met at this reunion spent 7 - 9 tours of duty there - awesome!! He also was one of the first ones who went to Anartica to build the faciility there.

Again, thank everyone who served in the military for our wonderful country. Also for those who serve (or served) in the Police Force, Firemen and Counfy Sheriff Dept.

JT was in the Coast Guard - I am partial to them - we are both in the Coast Guard Auillary.

10/19/17 12:32 PM

#855