X, formerly known as "!Jones"
2024-12-25 16:27:54 UTC
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Permalinkfrowned upon; however, the political scandal de l'année was Bill
Clinton's supply closet blow job. *Most* of the postings were related
to the Vietnam War in some way. It was a pretty active group for a
few years, running around 300 postings/day in its heyday. Even then,
the veterans of the Vietnam War were closely following the WWII
veterans into the ages. The only activity today is cross-posted from
the political groups and usually has nothing to do with Vietnam or the
war.
Here's an essay I wrote some years back about a visit to my abandoned
company are near the end of the war.
Just a passing thought... I'm sure it won't offend anyone because
there's nobody left:
Back in '73 or so, I was working for Air America in Viet Nam. We were
unloading a DHC-4 (Caribou) at the old Tuy Hoa AFB, at that time under
VNAF control. Well, we couldn't land because they had operations going
on, so we got vectored over to Phu Hiep. There was an old PSP
runway... it was better than landing in the brush. After a rough
landing, we shut down waiting on the trucks to take our load. Just
south of us, I could see my old company area... the 134th AHC.
I had a few minutes, so I took a walk across the berm. The buildings
were mostly gone... *all* gone, actually. The company sign still hung
by one hinge. I could trace the outline of the hooches' ephemeral
foundations and find my old home. The crater left by the mortar round
so many years ago was still visible in the nearly-covered sidewalk.
For some reason, I needed to enter by the door... or what used to be
the door. In the detritus, I was able to see where I might have
bunked... I slowly wandered about and was overcome by the deep feeling
of loneliness in the waning afternoon sun that sets so suddenly in
those latitudes.
It was then I realized that the shadows were getting long and that I
was several hundred yards from my aircraft and any possible support. I
walked quickly north and paused... I could see where battalion would
have been to my right; Demon maintenance beyond that was long gone. I
turned and bid the past goodbye.
Today, I peruse the 134th website and search the roster; my name does
not appear. Oh, well... in the long run, do any of ours?
We're sand in the wind.
S.Winfield Smith
***@unt.edu
Addendum: the 134th roster has been updated.