Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving is now over and I'm really glad. It, as many things, brought back many memories. Of landing back in the world from Vietnam on Thanksgiving night, 1971. When trying to make flight arrangemnts homes at Travis (I believe) I hear a voice calling for Mahoney. It was a fellow soldier I was stationed with in either Basic or Advanced Training. He wanted to say hi. He also needed $20 dollars or so to fly home which I gave him. He said he'd send it to me but I knew I would probably not hear or see from him again. Nor did it matter regarding the $20. (One of the few times I seemed to actually have money on me.)

I remember sharing the cab with him and a couple other GIs and getting to San Francisco International and pacing the night away until my flight left the next morning. The following night in Omaha I came to realize it was all a mistake and I should have never left Vietnam. I was lonely, angry, made fun of and treated poorly for being a Vietnam Veteran. I was so overwhelmed over the next few days, teeth hurt from flying and the fillings, jet lag and everything had changed over the last year. My slang was a year old and brought many laughs, only adding to my hating to be back in the States. Nothing prepared me for what I was experiencing or going to experience.

My thoughts are my own exept for writing a few of them here and thinking about Vietnam and just how important my service was and is. It is burned into my being for all time. And my dreams have been full of being in the service and back in Vietnam these last few days. I pray for my fellow veterans and wonder and hope that when my times comes I will be reunited with them. As always, you are in my thoughts.