About Me...1966

I was a 20 year old punk kid that thought the world revolved around me but when I hit the tarmac at Bien Hoa Air Base/ Long Binh Base which was 20 miles northeast of Saigon, I started to get the feeling that I wasn't as tough as I thought. We came in under mortar fire on the runway and when we got off the plane, the first thing that I saw were body bags with dead American soldiers zipped inside them. Then I saw MPs (I was an MP also) escorting about 30-40 Viet Cong POWs onto a C-120 bound for some where farther inland. I swallowed hard and thought to myself "This is going to be a long year." I was right!

About Me...Today

My photo
Hatchet Ranch in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States
I am a 66 year old Vietnam veteran with PTSD. There will be many pictures of my time there along with my thoughts from that period and thoughts that are "Still in My Head". I have yet to meet a Viet Vet who doesn't have South Vietnam tucked away somewhere in their brain. This blog is not to inflame anyone but therapy for me. I was in Vietnam from Nov 1966 to Nov of 1967. One tour of duty was enough for me but I have had an ongoing tour of duty in my head for the last 40 years.

"If Size Matters" Then...

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"Combat"



This picture is named "Combat" because we bought this puppy from a local merchant for 2 dollars and within 10 minutes after we got back on patrol...we got into a firefight. Hence the name "Combat" The guys in the picture:
left to right..Sam Wilder, Charlie Whitley, David McGuire, Jim Cassel holding Combat.
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Life, Dying, Death & Family

July 27, 2008

I haven't written anything in quite a while as I have had nothing to say but now I do.
I live out in the Colorado sticks and of late, I have had the unpleasant task of seeing a couple of friends die and now I am in California making arrangements to have my brother -in-law flown to Colorado to live out his remaining days on my ranch with my wife and me. He is only 50 years old and really is a great guy. He has lung cancer from a life long smoking habit and now it has spread throughout his body. The doctor told us he has from 2 weeks to 2 months...no more. His son is only 19 and he had to go through this less than 2 years ago with his mother. It is too young to have to loose both parents in such a short time. He will also be coming with us to Colorado until his Dad dies and then back to So.Pasadena to finish his education and to get on with his life.
I am now 62 and in relatively good health (not counting my PTSD). I am very tired of seeing friends and family dying but I guess if I have the good fortune to live longer I will see more and more of this. I guess that you have to take the bad with the good as the saying goes.