8:18 a.m. - Thursday, Feb. 28, 2002
Another letter from a good friend
sorry, couldn't let it go at that.
My dad never volunteered for 101st & never even went to Jump School. You see, they were pretty hard up for replacements in A co by 2/68. They said they were sending him to 101st and he said "you can't do that, I'm not airborne" & they said "you are now". My dad did volunteer for the draft, but his best friend who died there didn't. Is one bra vier than the other? No. But I still think you had to be very brave to end up in this outfit BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T MAKE IT IF YOU WEREN'T.
Maybe I've got no right talking to you about this because you were there & I am a 29 year old "kid" who wasn't, but understand why I know the things I know. My dad came home from Vietnam crazy as hell. I remember being told from the time I was old enough to remember that my dad wasn't right and it was from the war. Somehow when my mom split, he managed to take care of me. He would have never been voted Dad of the Year by anyone but me because the SWAT team was at our house more than once. Cops, fights and all kinds of other things were a regular part of my life at a very young age. I don't blame him because he did the best he could. I have spent the last 12-15 years of my life trying to understand. I read & reread everything I could find. Those times he drank enough to remember and utter someone's name (because he didn't talk about it), I would sneak off to write the name down & research it. About 5 years ago I finally got a hold of some official records from his outfit. You may be interested in seeing them as I think I have read your name in them. these include Morning after reports, and Daily reports. Of the 400+ days I have records on, I counted the days his unit was involved in heavy fire. It was 4. These guys still did their job. So I don't know how you can tell me the 101st is not an elite group. Did the guy sleeping in the jungle have it rougher than the MP in Saigon? You tell me, you were there, I wasn't. You want to know something else? My dad can't really seek out anybody and he doesn't know how to turn the computer on. Maybe this is because of his PTSD, maybe it's because they are all dead. Please go to the Virtualwall.org and read my stories on Gary Templeton, and James MacClafferty, and maybe you will see why I feel so strongly about this.
You're damn right I think it's an elite group, and you're damn right I think you all had bravier that's unparalleled. I can only hope that others will not judge the group of them by the actions and words of a few as you have.
I will always respect you for your bravery, not only for what you did over there, but for showing up at the reunion a few years ago (because I know that was hard), but I think you are wrong Leslie.
Let me add that I also think it is really sad that they did not allow you to join their web ring, but I think it is THEIR loss.
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