Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Joe


I met Joe in Petaluma when I made a comment about his Cal sweatshirt and Michigan hat (two finest public universities in the nation!). He is from Michigan, and his son is in his senior year at Cal, after doing a few tour with the Army. He showed me a picture he carries with him of his granddaughter- an adorable little blonde girl, and I showed him some pics of Huelan. Joe did two tours in Viet Nam as a med tech.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Gary


Gary is one of the most jovial guys you are ever going to meet- quick with a joke and quicker with a smile. He was based out of the Naval hospital in Da Nang. He now works as a PA in an othropedics practice in Santa Rosa, doing what he's always done- help people.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Shawnie


Shawnie is from Tacoma, WA but I met him in Palm Springs, where he now works as an attendant at La Quinta. He definitely helped us get the day off to a great start with his warm smile and positive attitude. Thanks Shawnie for all you did and all you do. 

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Lucky Few




All of the refugees of the Viet Nam war can consider ourselves lucky, and we have all benefitted from the actions of thousands of people we will never meet.

But there is a particular story that encapulates the spirit of the Vietnamese refugee and the heart of the American sailor. It's the story of the USS Kirk FF-1087, and it's told very well a video called The Lucky Few. You can view it at the link below, where it is broken up into 10 short chapters.

The Lucky Few, from US Navy TV

Monday, July 11, 2011


Ken is retired from a career in the Air Force, and spent a lot of time at Da Nang Air Bass during the war. He has no doubt that the U.S. and its allied forces would have won war on the ground if they had not been pulled out by Washington. After Viet Nam, he settled in Chandler, AZ, but he and his wife spend the hottest part of the summer in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Friday, June 3, 2011


Larry flew 114 combat missions in Viet Nam with the US Air Force. After Viet Nam, he flew passenger jets for United Airlines. He has a daughter and two grandkids, and retired to Sonoma, CA. He has a very strong handshake. 
Al is a career Marine who did three tours in Viet Nam. Saw heavy combat in all three, and suffered a serious injury to his left leg.  Doesn't stop him from playing golf though. After Viet Nam, he trained as a civil engineer with the Marines In San Diego and recently retired. He has a son in the Army who is currently deployed in Afghanistan.