I met George at Food Fair, nice kid being raised by his sister, they lived over near Merritt Island Elementary School. We became good friends, he thought we were rich living in Hampton homes, George had a hard life and made a very successful life after graduating. Many years went by and we reconnected several times for dinner as he set up communications in Columbia, on our last visit at the Florid East Coast Seafoood in Cocoa Beach, he told us he had cancer and would be coming back to be at his sisters in Rockledge, it was not long I had learned he passed away. RIP George and thanks for the friendship.
Glad to see I'm still alive on this email distribtruion.
Summer 1969 I happen to encounterred George Fox at a restaurant, and we chatted over breakfast. Mr Fox recently returned from Vietnam and was close to ending his Army tour. I was a few weeks from starting my 2 years of conscription. He had joined the Army to become an Army Ranger, a much higher desire for adventure than I wanted. I wanted to hear about his life in Vietnam. What I remember was his stating avoiding crossing a river upon noticing Pirannda, or some hungry water living creature.
Here's the twist. I was acquainted with George but he and Jim Brady must have been good friends. Jim sat next to me in one of our classes at BCC, and we both were facing conscription with anxiety, and we chatted about both of us becoming draft bait. Jim was graduating with his AA and become 1-A with the draft. I remained a draft dodger a few more months with the my still valid Student deferrment. Remember Jim discusing the exploits of George Fox. Jim and I both lacked the sense of adventure George obviously had.
I remember reading somewhere that George died of cancer. Being an Army Ranger in Vietnam I suspect he had to wade and roll around through Agent Orange. Strong evidence indicated many returning GIs got cancer and other illnesses from Agent Orange exposure. I immediately became curious if George became a victim of chemical warfare.
Does someone reading this know if it was verified that George contracted cancer from Agent Orange?
I do not kkonw about the agent orange for George. He was a great man and good friend. Nice to See Morrie Ingles comment...our very own caft beer expert and conasieur. :)
Larry, I completely removed myself from Facebook after watching a PBS documentary entitled The Facebook Dilemna. The Zuckerberg Evil Empire. Recommend viewing both episodes. Glad I received an email reminding me of this chat room. Send me a phone message @ (850) 774-0171 and we can become contact pals. That's my FB Messenger replacement.
Living in a 55+ Gated Community there are multiple Vietnam Wounded Warriors living here. Man living 2 doors down was a USMC infantry captain that continues to have serious agent orange verified related medical issues. Another neighbor was an Army Ranger that rolled around in agent orange during his 2 consecutive years in Vietnam. He has a few bondo patch marks from shrapnel wounds, but no AO medical issues. Must have been a matter of luck. I read that it was known that AO was harmful to man, but was continued to be used. Terrible!
One more about my neighbor that survived two years as a Ranger over there. He and his wife went to Vietnam in 1993 as tourists to see if it would help with his severe PTSD. He even hired a guide to to visit batlefields he served on. Said everyone was nice to him. Said that trip did him a lot of good.
Nice notes Larry and Morrie. Sorry to see that he passed. I sorta remember George at Food Fair also. At least I should remember since I was so close the manager person :-)
As for the Agent Orange, AO, I can speak from my own experience. Vietnam was broken up into 4 Corps. The area known as III Corp had the heaviest concentration of AO with nearly 3 times as much sprayed vs the other zones. This was the area near Saigon in the south of Vietnam. Of course that is where I had the pleasure of living the dream for my tour. I think Ken Ozmore and a couple other guys were in III corp also. If you lived there you were exposed. Period. Although the VA has determined several types of illnesses are atributable to AO, there are many other non listed illnesses that I believe were the result of AO that VA does not recognize. I am fortunate to have some VA disability from AO but it's impossible to know for sure the long term damage incurred. Morrie I hope your friend received substantial mental relief from his return vist to Nam. I'm sure he deserved it. RIP George.
Dave, glad to read your comment. Vaguely recall you stating you were trained to do some kind of administrative work, then sent to Nam to become a radio operator with the infantry (prime NVA rifle site target?). That approximately correct? I can only imagine what a big surprise that was for you that day.. OJT must have been exciting.
We both got volunteered for Army Life about the same time, we both went overseas while getting free food, free medical care, life insurance for our loved ones if needed, and getting paid to play tourists. We were in two different galaxies tho. You got the short straw and I was dealt a Full House. 54 years later I still shake my head in disbelief that happenend to me. I gotta be one of the luckiest dudes on the panet.
While we're still alive (preferably), we should meet again to drink booze and exchange war stories. Good German or Meican beer would be my choice for me to drink while telling my war stories.
Larry Fowler (Fowler)
I met George at Food Fair, nice kid being raised by his sister, they lived over near Merritt Island Elementary School. We became good friends, he thought we were rich living in Hampton homes, George had a hard life and made a very successful life after graduating. Many years went by and we reconnected several times for dinner as he set up communications in Columbia, on our last visit at the Florid East Coast Seafoood in Cocoa Beach, he told us he had cancer and would be coming back to be at his sisters in Rockledge, it was not long I had learned he passed away. RIP George and thanks for the friendship.
Morrie John Ingalls
Glad to see I'm still alive on this email distribtruion.
Summer 1969 I happen to encounterred George Fox at a restaurant, and we chatted over breakfast. Mr Fox recently returned from Vietnam and was close to ending his Army tour. I was a few weeks from starting my 2 years of conscription. He had joined the Army to become an Army Ranger, a much higher desire for adventure than I wanted. I wanted to hear about his life in Vietnam. What I remember was his stating avoiding crossing a river upon noticing Pirannda, or some hungry water living creature.
Here's the twist. I was acquainted with George but he and Jim Brady must have been good friends. Jim sat next to me in one of our classes at BCC, and we both were facing conscription with anxiety, and we chatted about both of us becoming draft bait. Jim was graduating with his AA and become 1-A with the draft. I remained a draft dodger a few more months with the my still valid Student deferrment. Remember Jim discusing the exploits of George Fox. Jim and I both lacked the sense of adventure George obviously had.
I remember reading somewhere that George died of cancer. Being an Army Ranger in Vietnam I suspect he had to wade and roll around through Agent Orange. Strong evidence indicated many returning GIs got cancer and other illnesses from Agent Orange exposure. I immediately became curious if George became a victim of chemical warfare.
Does someone reading this know if it was verified that George contracted cancer from Agent Orange?
Thank you.
Either way, so sad for George.
Morrie (official Craft Beer Snob)
Larry Fowler (Fowler)
I do not kkonw about the agent orange for George. He was a great man and good friend. Nice to See Morrie Ingles comment...our very own caft beer expert and conasieur. :)
Morrie John Ingalls
Larry, I completely removed myself from Facebook after watching a PBS documentary entitled The Facebook Dilemna. The Zuckerberg Evil Empire. Recommend viewing both episodes. Glad I received an email reminding me of this chat room. Send me a phone message @ (850) 774-0171 and we can become contact pals. That's my FB Messenger replacement.
Living in a 55+ Gated Community there are multiple Vietnam Wounded Warriors living here. Man living 2 doors down was a USMC infantry captain that continues to have serious agent orange verified related medical issues. Another neighbor was an Army Ranger that rolled around in agent orange during his 2 consecutive years in Vietnam. He has a few bondo patch marks from shrapnel wounds, but no AO medical issues. Must have been a matter of luck. I read that it was known that AO was harmful to man, but was continued to be used. Terrible!
One more about my neighbor that survived two years as a Ranger over there. He and his wife went to Vietnam in 1993 as tourists to see if it would help with his severe PTSD. He even hired a guide to to visit batlefields he served on. Said everyone was nice to him. Said that trip did him a lot of good.
David Hendrickson (Hendrickson)
Nice notes Larry and Morrie. Sorry to see that he passed. I sorta remember George at Food Fair also. At least I should remember since I was so close the manager person :-)
As for the Agent Orange, AO, I can speak from my own experience. Vietnam was broken up into 4 Corps. The area known as III Corp had the heaviest concentration of AO with nearly 3 times as much sprayed vs the other zones. This was the area near Saigon in the south of Vietnam. Of course that is where I had the pleasure of living the dream for my tour. I think Ken Ozmore and a couple other guys were in III corp also. If you lived there you were exposed. Period. Although the VA has determined several types of illnesses are atributable to AO, there are many other non listed illnesses that I believe were the result of AO that VA does not recognize. I am fortunate to have some VA disability from AO but it's impossible to know for sure the long term damage incurred. Morrie I hope your friend received substantial mental relief from his return vist to Nam. I'm sure he deserved it. RIP George.
Morrie John Ingalls
Dave, glad to read your comment. Vaguely recall you stating you were trained to do some kind of administrative work, then sent to Nam to become a radio operator with the infantry (prime NVA rifle site target?). That approximately correct? I can only imagine what a big surprise that was for you that day.. OJT must have been exciting.
We both got volunteered for Army Life about the same time, we both went overseas while getting free food, free medical care, life insurance for our loved ones if needed, and getting paid to play tourists. We were in two different galaxies tho. You got the short straw and I was dealt a Full House. 54 years later I still shake my head in disbelief that happenend to me. I gotta be one of the luckiest dudes on the panet.
While we're still alive (preferably), we should meet again to drink booze and exchange war stories. Good German or Meican beer would be my choice for me to drink while telling my war stories.