David Trucksis

I too spent time in Viet Nam, two tours back to back with the Air Force Special Operations. I flew C-123's into some very strange places. We were based in Phan Rang but did TDYs in Da Nang, Siagon, Ben Hoa and others. Got out in 1969 but went back in the Reserves in 1975 for 24 more years.

My (to be) brother-in-law was a Seal there and was in and out of country. We delivered him and his team several times never knowing we would some day be related. What a small world.

Been to DC many times but have also never found any classmates I knew on the Viet Nam Memorial.

Reid Douglas

Dave, thanks for adding to the Viet Nam discussion here. Are you saying you actually piloted or crewed a C-123  for two tours?  While in Korea, I spent a fair amount of time in C-123s as well as the C-130 and the C-141. As you know, back them you could hitch a ride anywhere in the world on a military transport if you had a set of orders that allowed it and I used them to go all over eastern Asia and back and forth to the US. I don't know if you can still do that kind of thing but I hope so. It's one of the best perks of being in the military. 

In fact, I was coming back to the US for a weekend on a C-141 when the Six Day War broke out in the Middle East. I sat in the cockpit on the jump seat and we listened to the military updates on the conflict on the radio like it was the Indians vs. the Red Sox. I swear it might as well have been narrated by Curt Gowdy!

If you like those old planes, you can pay them a bittersweet visit at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson or at Marana Air Park just north of there. Hundreds of planes packed in side-by-side are just rotting away in the desert. It's amazing to see but kind of depressing.  Oh well, at least we're not still fighting a war with them.

Take care.

Terrence Kelly

Reid....addendum re: Induction Day

I remember it like it was yesterday !    Thanks for the recollection. =)    I'm surprised you didn't faint during that practical joke!     

Reid Douglas

Posted for Bill ROSER, Jr.

This is Bill Roser, Jr., RRHS Class of '64. I did not serve in the military. However, to all my RRHS Class of '64 classmates who served in the military, I want to express my deepest, most sincere appreciation and thank you. We Americans are so fortunate to live in a free, safe environment. 
All you have to do is turn on the tv news or read a daily newspaper. Just look at all the sad horrendous happenings going on around the world. We live in this free, safe environment because of our strong military, our highly trained law enforcement departments at all levels(local, state and federal) and our state-of-the-art-trained first responders. All of us play important roles in our society(mechanics, construction workers, ministers, lawyers, welders etc., etc.). However, we freely and safely do what we do in a safe, protected society thanks to our military, law enforecment and first responders. So once again,thank you and please accept my deepest appreciation to my Class of '64 classmates who have so unselfishly served in these capacities.

Terry Mone (Mone)

GOTO http://www.virtualwall.org/iAlpha.htm to find anyone you know who might be on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.  I've  checked before & I could not find anyone from our class.

Terrence Kelly

Thanks, Bill

I appreciate your comments.    A strong military does keep us safe.   History will be the judge whether "good war or bad war".

Terry Mone (Mone)

For you who want to find friends or families who died in service to their country, here's a new website recently created Togetherweserved.com .  Here's the story of how these guys got started: http://news.msn.com/science-technology/aging-veterans-build-online-honor-roll-of-fallen-comrades  Check 'em both out - very informative.

John Davies

Memorial Day 2014, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my RRHS64 classmates that served along with me in the United States Armed Forces.  Thank You for your service.

The Vietnam War was certainly controversial.  I served with the Army's 24 Corps Artillery, in DaNang, Vietnam, as an advisor with the 29th Civil Affairs Co.  When I returned from Vietnam, I put on my civilian clothes, and slipped back into life trying my best to avoid the rage of the antiwar demonstrators.  It took over twenty years for me to hear the words "thank you for your service".  It was in the early 1990's in Poulsbo, WA.  I saw some colored posters announcing that there was a veterans night being held at the local high school that evening.  I thought, what the heck, I'll go.  I took my fellow veteran buddy, Roger, with me.  The speaker was Dave Reaver, a badly wounded Vietnam veteran, a corpsman medic, who spoke of his experience and his wounds.  At the end of his talk he asked the audiance to thank the WWII vets with a big applause, and then the Korean War vets as well.  Then he said, you veterans had your ticker tape parades, but the Vietnam veterans have never been thanked for their service or welcomed home. He called all of us Vietnam veterans in the gym down to the stage with him.   We got up out of our seats and made our way to the stage.  There must have been a couple hundred of us on stage when Dave asked the audiance to welcome us home and thank us for our service.  The audiance stood up and gave us a grand applause and welcome home.  Thank you Vietnam Veterans, welcome home, we are glad you are safely home.  We were all just standing there weeping and tears running down our faces, hugging each other.  For the first time I heard "Thank You for your service."  It was ok now, the expericnce had not been in vain.  Closure, I could be publically proud of my service.  I had always been personally proud to be an American Soldier,but publically, well that was something different.  Until that night in the gym.

So for you fellow veterans who have never heard the words "Thank You for your Service."  You answered the call not knowing what the outcome might be.  Thank You.

Watch Toby Keith's "American Soldier" on YouTube.  Great tribute for this forum.  Have a great Memorial Day. 

Blessings,  John Davies

John Fazekas

Words alone cannot convey the gratitude we all owe to those who served in our military during both "accepted" wars and unacceptable "police actions". A big THANK YOU to you all! I am glad to see all of the activity that has been generated simply by one of our own getting involved on this forum and asking some questions. Thanks Jim for caring. Thanks Reid for furthering the dialog. And thanks to all the rest for adding their input to help all of us keep track of our fellow classmates. It is funny how the more that time passes since June of 1964 the closer we (I) feel toward the kids with whom I attended River. Some I knew well, some not so well, but all were a part of our experience. Thank you again.

Terrence Kelly

To both Johns.....

Thanks to both of you for your heart-felt comments.    I've received more appreciation and gratitude on this site in the last weeks than in the 40+ years since my own service.    I'm very proud of my Class of '64 !

When I was discharged, I went straight back to law school and felt like a pariah....as if I had been too lacking in cunning or deviousness to "get out of the draft".   Truth be told, I'm glad I was in the Army.   It took a long time to stop feeling embarrassed and shameful around most of my classmates in law school.   

I didn't realize the healing is still happening.......Thanks again and Happy Memorial Day to everyone,,,,esp my fellow Veterans.....

Terry

Reid Douglas

This conversation about our military service has been truly interesting and as I have said before, if our class got through the Viet Nam war without the loss of a single life, I would consider us to be very fortunate indeed. I too am very happy to have served in the military and particularly overseas. It was an experience I enjoyed tremendously and still talk about with people who served as well as those who avoided doing so.  And yes, it is a conversation that makes me feel closer to all those who have served, regardless of when or where.  I almost wish we still had a draft so that young people could enjoy a taste of military life, but it's hard to genuinely recommend as long as it also offers that whole "dieing for your country" option that is so much less appealling.  Still, I wouldn't trade my two years in the Army, and especially my sixteen months in Korea, for anything. If you've served in the military and lived to tell about it, it's now just a part of who you are and in that I think you should feel great pride.  So thanks to all of my fellow vets: I will hoist a glass today to toast us all.

Jim McCreary

50 years ago, no one could have imagined the collapse of the USSR, the expansion of NATO to former Soviet bloc countries, or to China turning towards capitalism and away from Chairman Mao and his little red book!

On the other hand, WHO COULD HAVE IMAGINED FIFTY YEARS AGO huge passenger planes slamming  into skyscrapers and the Pentagon, piloted by Islamic fanatics??

People jumping out of those skyscrapers to their DEATH on Manhattan Island rather than being INCINERATED??

Not me, for sure! Not me!  My image of the middle east was of people riding camels.  Or obscenely fat oil-rich Saudis ridng around in their Cadillacs wearing their head scarves. They were a joke!  HAHAHA!

But I was seriously uninformed about the rest of the world then.

The only people between us and those crazy people bent on destroying us are people making sacrifices in the MILITARY!

Gar Garland

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/27301230/v27502667/sfoak-double-amputee-veteran-throws-out-first-pitch

Our co-founder for Purple Heart Homes Dale Beatty throwing out the first pitch at an A's Game.

Jim McCreary

Gar, and others, I've been reading about this Bowe Bergdahl, who abandoned his post in Afghanistan and became a prisoner of the Taliban for 5 years.  I want to know what you actual combat vets think should be done with this guy  I'm sorry if this upsets you, but I don't have contact with any other vets other than you here to ask this question to.

The last Soldier executed by the Army was Pvt. Eddie Slovik in 1945.  I found this  Wikipedia article, and posted  the link here:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Slovik 

At the very least, I hope Bergdahl faces a court martial for his desertion.  If he gets off without punishment, and gets GI benefits and anything other than a dishonorable discharge, I'm really going to be upset.  I would think morale would suffer greatly for the other active-duty soldiers stationed there.  

Do you think the Army bears any responsibility for letting him in, in the first place? I don't know how the Army looks at potential recruits now that we have an all-volunteer force.  Maybe they've lowered their standards because so few people enlist?  Did they just miss something at the beginning?

Gar Garland

Jim,

I played golf with my buddy Gen. Chuck Swannack on Monday. We discussed this situation as well as the ongoing issus with the VA. As far as I am concerned this soldier was a deserter. He wrote before his desertion that he was ashamed of America and was behind our sworn enemies. I am not convinced that he was held captive at all but was there of his own free will. I am even more concerned that our President released 5 Taliban commanders for him. That will come back to haunt us make no mistake. Bergdahl should face court martial for his actions. Life in prison is the minimum he should receive. 6 soldiers died trying to find him.

Gar

Jim McCreary

I agree with you completely, Gar!

I think Obama made a big mistake with his handling of Bergdahl.  

Reid Douglas

This is a truly sad episode in that six good soldiers were killed trying to rescue one bad one. I have no idea what communications took place in the chain of command about Bergdahl's disappearance so I'll refrain from unenlightened criticism, but I am amazed and bewildered that the administration thought this transaction would be seen by everyone as a great moment for America and our military.  Really? No one saw this sheiss-storm coming? 

My heart goes out to the families and friends of those six fallen heroes who genuinely deserve that overused label. What an inexcusable waste.

Chuck Cole

No one should be "surprise" or otherwise upset at anything this destructive administration does, from using the IRS to terrorize political opponents, to hanging out an American ambassador to dry in Libya, to threatening to indict journalists who have the temerity to investigate them, to promoting the ongoing hoax of man made global warming (or climate change, or climate disruption, or whatever new term they invent), to the recent disgrace of releasing cut throat terrorists in exchang for an American deserter.  Anyone who was following the facts behind this so-called administration could have seen this stuff coming back in 2008.  America is going to pay a horrendous price for having elected (and, amazingly, re-elected) this fraud.  Russia's Putin is laughing his ass off and I don't blame him.

Terry Mone (Mone)

I, too, am very upset & fedup with the current administration.  Last year, before the IRS scandal broke, we were harassed by them & I believed it was due to our open Christian & conservative views.  Violating our laws to free 5 terrorists for this deserter was beyond-the-pale.  We've GOT to take our country back at the polls this November.  And, don't forget to use "knee-power" to combat this obvious evil.

Lowell Hinsdale

My response is in regards to the USA prisoner exchange for the terrorist murderers.  Once again our jerk of a President and his administration have slammed our country and military.  He has no idea of what leadership is or what our country is all about in my humble opinion. 

God Bless our D-Day men and women that understood God, Country and Freedom!!

David Trucksis

The only coment I have left for our current administration is that Jimmy Carter is so happy that he will no longer be known as the worst President of the United States.

Terry Mone (Mone)

My sincere apologies to my classmates as I'm gonna have to miss y'al at our 50th.  We have had to move due to damage to our house, and we're supposed to got to court to resolve this issue at the same time as the 50th.  We were certainly looking forward to seein' y'al again & we're so sorry that we can't make.  Please keep us in your prayers that we'' be able to resolve this issue favorably and y'al have fun.

Love & Peace-in-Christ,

Terry & Diane

Gar Garland

I have been trying to rearrange my schedule to attend but I have a a Board Meeting on Thusday the 11th, a USO event on Monday the 15th and another charity function on the 16th. I am just not up for the 500 mile drive from Charlotte on Friday, then 500 miles back on Sunday evening. My best to each and every one of you. Have a great time and you will be in my thoughts.

Gar

John Davies

I'll miss shaking your hand in person and congratulating you for a job well done.  Thank you for your military service and additionally for all that you have done and are doing for veterans.  Keep up the good work and may God bless you.  John Davies

Gar Garland

Thank you John. I appreciate the kind words. There are so many vets in need. I have been asked to take the Chairman spot at PHH by our founders Dale Beatty and John Gallina. Big shoes to fill. I'll keep you posted with any significant updates.

I am caddying for one the the Web.com event in Charlotte (Chiquita Classic) on Sept. 3rd. 40 veterans from all eras have been asked to carry a Pro bag on the 18th hole. Who is going to carry me?

Have fun John.