Some people know that i used to hang around the local VFW when i was a kid and sit and listen to the Vets stories about this and that from the time they were my age to times spent huddled in a hole on some damned hill in Nam.

I just got the phone call that a good friend from then passed away this afternoon around 5.

He used to always buy me an orange soda or a cookie and i still have a few of the things he gave me that he brought back from the rice paddies while he was there.

Can you believe that someone actually VOLUNTARILY took 4 tours?

We all called him Sarge, i think it was his rank as he took great fondness in the memories of chewing out other Marines while he was there.

I can still remember the time he told me the story of the time he and a buddy ran into a small group of Laotian people picking rice in a field while on patrol, one of the kids in the group had a small monkey thing that would sit on his shoulder. When his buddy gave the monkey thing an bit of his lunch, the monkey ran up his arm, grabbed him by the ear and nose and started to initiate a probing of his ear cavity! hehe They even named it Spegalman IIRC after some upper ranker that would give the guys trouble and i guess he looked like the monkey or the monkey looked like him

From him i have, a few old MI M16 rounds and empty casings that he kept from his first clip over there, His old hat, a Machete he picked up (not sure if it was used there but US ARMY is inked on the handle) a booklet of Vietnamese and Laotian phrases like "where is clean water" and "how far to the nearest road/trail"
A manual on how to tear down a M16 and properly oil the parts to prevent rusting of the weapon, one set of Tiger stripe BDUs in my size amazingly, a big knife that i use for gutting deer and any other animal i hunt down.

This guy lived a life like none i know, he ran away from home at 17, joined the Marines, went to Nam, came back, decided there wasn't anything here for him and then went back another three times.

He was wounded only once and that was a freak accident involving a hole in his water canteen by a careless recruit tripping and dropping his arm. The bullet hit a tree, ricocheted and hit his canteen, then just barely went into his hip, He was so concerned about figuring out who was hit, where the shot came from and setting up a defensive operation that he didn't realize there was blood coming form his left hip That goes to show who this guy was.

All in all I'm sure he is finally done fighting that war where he is now and looking down on us all everyday.

RIP Sarge. You will be missed...

Sorry for your (and our) loss.
RIP hero and thank you.
You know, about ten years ago, I befriended a neighbor, a WWII vet, in his later days. Fond memories of him sharing those impossible to imagine tales of duty.

[This message has been edited by cliffw (edited 01-27-2011).]

you know, of all the stories he told me i cant remember what his rank was and who he served with. I would ask his wife but he always said Women will get you into trouble and was a bachelor up until about 2 years ago when he moved to Florida to pursue some old Army Nurse he met on a dating cite.

I taught him how to use the internet at the public library

quote Originally posted by Ramsespride: I taught him how to use the internet at the public library

Pron, j/k, ?
Heh, I fixed me neighbor's electric wheelchair, believing I was giving him a measure of freedom that he fought for to give us. Turns out that he had to be brought home by the police because he tried to go about eight blocks away to the grocery store. His daughter, who worked at the police station, was plenty pissed off at me. She also understood my intentions were the best. I had to admire that the man still had the gumption to "get it done" by himself. He rarely had gone anywhere alone for years. I only became acquainted with him because he would always sit on his porch watching the small view of the world he had.

There are many vets who are men like your "Sarge". They vary in size, color and age but, they are deserving our respect and friendship. Sounds like you knew a special one. Thanks for sharing his story. Celebrate his life as he would have, not his passing, he knew it would eventually come.

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Ron

Condolences to you and his family.
Have his wife contact http://www.patriotguard-wi.org/
I'd stand for him.

RIP, Soldier.

Sorry for our and your loss.

Steve

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

I knew lots of guys who voluteered for more than one tour of duty or requested an extension of their 13 month tours.

1:as bad as it might be there, many found it more rewarding than spit and polish Marine barracks duty back stateside, and

2: many hated , after having and gaining a year's worth of real combat experience, leaving their unit to a fng that might not/probably not having any. Combat experienced NCOs were a huge asset to have around, especially to look after the junior enlisted privates and PFCs that made up the bulk of grunt platoons and companies. Platoon leaders (1st and 2nd Lts) were here today--gone tomorrow and most often couldn't find their ass with both hands in broad daylight and the NCOs were the real leaders in any platoon or squadron. (still that way today and always has been)

"Sarge" btw, could be anything between E5 (Sgt) and E-9 (Master Gunnery Sgt or SgtMaj).
Sorry for your loss. He's now guarding the streets of heaven.

The oldest official song in the US military says:
"If the Army or the Navy, ever look on Heaven's scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines"

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 01-27-2011).]

The Father of my ex-fiancee from the 1980s not only served in Vietnam, but returned to 3 more tours there voluntarilly. He knew there was no higher calling then returning to lead and possibly save the lives of men under his command. He left the military in the late 80s, an E6.

He was, and still is, Infantry. (Army and later, National Guard)

Sorry for your loss.