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Active Duty Time
"Vietnam Bound"
Jan. 29-Feb. 3 , 1968
Song is: "Leaving On A Jet Plane" from Vietnam Jukebox. (21st Birthday on 29th),Left Cleveland Hopkins Airport on Feb.1 with my Father, Mother, Sisters, Brother and fiance standing at the gate waving goodbye wondering if we would ever see each other again as I headed off to Treasure Island, Cal. As I flew towards California I promised myself that if I'd ever make it back that someday I would travel for 6 months around continental United States to see what I was flying over. I had the loneliest feeling that I had ever had in my life wondering what was ahead of me. Feb.3-8, 1968 In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. While in Alaska stopping and refueling I was only 1/2 way through a mountain of pancakes, sauage and eggs smothered with Maple syrup when they announce for all out bound corpsmen to report immedicately for departure. I about cried having to leave half of what might have been my last meal. Really hurt thinking about that after I was out in the field for a couple of weeks on c-rations. Addenum: While in transit on the plane, I had an unusual experience that I'd like to share with everyone who reads this. I had read everything in sight that was in the pocket of the seat in front of me. I stopped a stewardess to inquire if they had any other reading material on board. She told me that there were more books in the back of the plane. I went back and was thumbing through all of the books there trying to find something that would keep me preoccupied from thinking about Viet Nam. The Stewardess came back after about 10-15 minutes and asked me "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" I told her "No, not really." She then asked me " Why of all the Corpsmen/servicemen on this plane was I the only one that didn't ask for her address and telephone number?" I told her that (1.)I was engaged and (2.) It wasn't my style to go asking every woman that I met to get her address and telephone number, besides I had more important things on my mind. Such as, I didn't know if I was going to make it back and not wanting to think about that. I was trying to keep from thinking about that. She very quickly wrote down something and gave it to me. It was her name, address and telephone number with the instructions that if it didn't work out between me and my fiance after I came back to give her a call because she saw something in me that she had been looking for.(It didn't work out. More on this later) I then went back to my seat with a book after putting that slip of paper in my wallet. As I was sitting down one of my friends who considered himself a ladies man, smarted off to me "Oh, you struck out too, didn't you?" I told him that I had not asked for her address that she gave it to me. He wouldn't believe me until I showed him the slip of paper. He tried to grab it but I told him "If she had wanted him to have it she would have given it to him." With that I went back to reading. Somewhere I know that she wonders if I ever made it back to the States and why I never called. After I got wounded and my things taken from me in triage, I never saw that slip of paper again. I know that I should have written to her while I was in VietNam, but like things go I had more important thoughts on my mind such as surviving and looking out for my men. Next page previous page This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page
Song is: "Leaving On A Jet Plane" from Vietnam Jukebox.
(21st Birthday on 29th),Left Cleveland Hopkins Airport on Feb.1 with my Father, Mother, Sisters, Brother and fiance standing at the gate waving goodbye wondering if we would ever see each other again as I headed off to Treasure Island, Cal. As I flew towards California I promised myself that if I'd ever make it back that someday I would travel for 6 months around continental United States to see what I was flying over. I had the loneliest feeling that I had ever had in my life wondering what was ahead of me.
Feb.3-8, 1968
In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. While in Alaska stopping and refueling I was only 1/2 way through a mountain of pancakes, sauage and eggs smothered with Maple syrup when they announce for all out bound corpsmen to report immedicately for departure. I about cried having to leave half of what might have been my last meal. Really hurt thinking about that after I was out in the field for a couple of weeks on c-rations.
Addenum: While in transit on the plane, I had an unusual experience that I'd like to share with everyone who reads this. I had read everything in sight that was in the pocket of the seat in front of me. I stopped a stewardess to inquire if they had any other reading material on board. She told me that there were more books in the back of the plane.
I went back and was thumbing through all of the books there trying to find something that would keep me preoccupied from thinking about Viet Nam. The Stewardess came back after about 10-15 minutes and asked me "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" I told her "No, not really."
She then asked me " Why of all the Corpsmen/servicemen on this plane was I the only one that didn't ask for her address and telephone number?" I told her that (1.)I was engaged and (2.) It wasn't my style to go asking every woman that I met to get her address and telephone number, besides I had more important things on my mind. Such as, I didn't know if I was going to make it back and not wanting to think about that. I was trying to keep from thinking about that.
She very quickly wrote down something and gave it to me. It was her name, address and telephone number with the instructions that if it didn't work out between me and my fiance after I came back to give her a call because she saw something in me that she had been looking for.(It didn't work out. More on this later)
I then went back to my seat with a book after putting that slip of paper in my wallet. As I was sitting down one of my friends who considered himself a ladies man, smarted off to me "Oh, you struck out too, didn't you?" I told him that I had not asked for her address that she gave it to me. He wouldn't believe me until I showed him the slip of paper. He tried to grab it but I told him "If she had wanted him to have it she would have given it to him." With that I went back to reading.
Somewhere I know that she wonders if I ever made it back to the States and why I never called. After I got wounded and my things taken from me in triage, I never saw that slip of paper again. I know that I should have written to her while I was in VietNam, but like things go I had more important thoughts on my mind such as surviving and looking out for my men.
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