The Kid

A Vietnamese driver brought in an American woman who, as I remember, was suffering from and Asthma attack . Along with them was the woman's son who was around 10 years old or so. The woman was in the ER being treated and the son remained in the small waiting room outside the ER. Her husband was apparently some big American contractor and she and her son came with him to Vietnam. The woman was calling for her driver and I remember this really irritating one of the GI's on duty with me that night. Again, if I remember correctly he felt it should be her husband with her and he became irriated with the situation.

While she was in the ER the kid got really talkative. He started talking about being home schooled, their house in Saigon, how big and nice it was and how they had everything. Then he starts to talk about the American's and GI's. He stated something to the effect that we had no business being in Vietnam and the more he said the more insulting it became and the more irritated we became.  At one point one of the GI's became so irritated he started to really take on this kid. It was so upsetting to all of us. Here we are in a war zone treating our wounded brothers, taking care of our dead and this spoiled, rude and ignorant kid comes in and tells us we don't belong, etc. At one point I actually thought one of the GI's was really going to go after this kid.

In the end, his mother was treated and they left. Me and my fellow GI's were so hurt by what this Kid said and how he thought he could treat us. I always wondered why a Contractor would bring his family into a war zone but I guess in the end money talks and the "Kid" probably was only saying what his mother and father were saying while they were bringing in big bucks. I wonder how he turned out as an adult and suspect that he grew up and is someone I am glad I don't know or have to be around. He is probably and uncaring adult who only thinks of himself and money and to hell with those who risk their lives and give their all to make sure he, his family and all Americans are safe.

The Korean Soldier

One night two Korean soldiers came into the ER. It was clear to me one of them was an officer. He came over to me and started talking. The problem was it was in Korean and I had no idea what he was saying. He would talk and at times put his arm on the young soldier with him who stood silently. I tried to understand and communicate but with little luck. Then I got it. I don't know how, but I got it. He was bringing this young man as he thought he had gotten a sexually transmitted disease and he needed to get checked out. I have no idea how I came up with it but I got them into the ER and explained what was going on. The Dr. on duty took over and the Officer smiled and bowed.

You know, in Nam we had heard how fierce and mean the South Korean soldier were and it almost seemed to me that people were afraid of them. But was a Korean Officer and you could truly see he cared for his soldier. I was so touched by his actions and concern.

One never knew what would come through the doors. A pregnant mamasan giving birth, a GI having heart attack, overdose, burn patients, mass casualties, etc. Regardless of what it was we were there to take care of them and treat them.

Lonely

I saw the Nut Doctor again today which was a good thing. I've been really sad and lonely and it was good to see him. It's odd what one's perception is of themselves. I've never had what I would call really close friends in school and I felt awkward and was really kind of quiet and shy. I never felt like I really fit in. After high school, at 18, I went to United Electronics in West Des Moines. It was a bad move as I barely made it through high school and never really learned to study as work was the goal and what I needed to do growing up.

 In Des Moines I began to feel "normal". I worked a lot and tried my best at school but didn't really have the basics to be successful. However, I was able to establish some beginnings of a friendship with a few people. And there was one special friendship I had. It was with Steve. He was from Wisconsin and we had things in our past that had happened to us. I'm not sure how it came up, or why, but it did and we had this instant connedction. As a result, I felt we had a very close relationship and even though brief, I remember it and miss it and him. Unfortunately my dad and mom made me come back to NE which really set me back mentally and emotionally. I was supposed to have went to Wisconsin with him and another guy after I returned to Omaha but was not able to. I did go back to Des Moines for a couple of hours but my dad made me bring my younger brother so much that needed saying was not said. Luckily (or unluckily) I just worked again lots of hours and that became a way of life again. I did work at Ak-Sar-Ben which was an Omaha Horse Racing track. I met some guys and started to develop friendships again.

Around this time I was drafted. So here I am this uneducated, clumsy, non-athletic, poor eyesight guy going into the Army. In a way it was a very good thing. I was able to accomplish things I never thought I'd be able to do. I gained confidence in myself and most of all began to actually feel like I fit in again. Of course, I think that would be for anyone going into the service. We are from all around the Country, don't know anyone and are all in the same position. Friendships seemed to come easy and story telling about where we came from, our families, our adventures, etc. came easy. I remember in Basic Training at Ft. Lewis sitting outside with a guy from Maine. It was so quiet and no words were spoken as we listened to Taps. It was a memorable moment.

At Ft. Gordon, I met Dennis Esposito. He was from LA, married and to me a man of the world. I would sit and listen to his adventures in amazement. I kept thinking how lucky I was to have a friend like him and wondered why he'd want a friend like me. I found his address and wrote him a letter after coming home from Vietnam to find out that he was stationed right by me in Vietnam. I was sick at hearing this and unfortunately we lost track of each other and never met each other again.

In Vietnam I met Tom Hamilton. He was from the PA and had grown up very different than I did. He was smart, funny and a good friend. We ended up sharing a Hootch together for about six months into our tour. He was the one who was told to turn up the IV's on the North Vietnamese Soldier I was taught to use the Ambu bag on when he came in via Medivac. He was brain dead and they needed the bed. I was able to find him years after leaving Vietnam and we exchanged a few letters. I think the memories were to much and the contact only made them stronger and perhaps too much time had passed as well.

My final duty station I met Norman Faria from CA. He was, again, someone totally opposite of me and who would have never thought we'd have been friends, but we were. He loved going to a mall in Colorado Springs and see this large parrot at a pet shop that amazed him. Since Omaha was about 9 hours from Ft. Carson me and a number of guys too far from home would come with me. It got to be on a real regular basis. We were inseparable. When I was being discharged he warned me about going home and what he thought it would do to me. He came to see me with another GI once shortly after I came back to Omaha. It ended up being a sad visit. He felt so strongly that I not stay and he ultimately was right. My last memory of him was tears rolling down his cheeks telling me it was not good for me to be at home again. I now know he was very right. And I miss him, being with him, and missed conversations and adventures we may have had.

I made a friend at my civilian job in Denver and it was a good friendship but that ended once I lost my job and moved back to Omaha.

Today the Nut Doctor and I talked a little about friendships and how they are so different and unique in the service and seem to come so easily and are very meaningful. I told him that I felt so much support from the military friendships and that they really saved me. (I have to say that about Steve in Des Moines as well.) Unfortunately, we move on to different duty stations and start the process of meeting new friends again, but for me, I have never forgotten the special friends I made and I am so thankful our paths crossed, even for just that short time. And I am lonely because I miss them. I'm lonely as I have no friends to share my thoughts, troubles, stories and laughs with.

So, to these special friends, thank you for saving me, being there for me and I hope I was there for you. You are missed and in my heart and I have not forgotten you.

Tom

Tom worked the same tour I was on at the 24^th Evac. He was a Vietnamese civilian who, from what I understand, was a former ARVN soldier who had been wounded. He had a significant limp when walking which I believe was wound related. His duties included cleaning our area just outside of the ER, help getting wounded GI’s off the choppers and other duties. He spoke only a few words of English and was overall just quiet, did his work and read a newspaper if there was any time.

I got along very well with him as did everyone else. And although he spoke only a few words of English there were several times he would be chatting away with me in Vietnamese what seemed to be a story of some sort he wanted to tell. I could not help but laugh along with him as he was so animated and laughing when telling his story and I had no clue what he was saying.

One night I was the only one working. I think it was due to others being sick due some type of spreading eye infection. Of course, we got calls coming in regarding mass casualties and were going to have several choppers coming in with the wounded. I sort of panicked wondering how I was going to be able to get them all in once the chopper landed. He knew I was panicked, came over and put his hand on my shoulder and said “No Sweat”. I felt a little embarrassed and calmed down. When the choppers were coming in I grabbed anyone I could to help, even a GI who was outside. After things settled down and all the casualties were in, the soldier I recruited outside came over to me and said something like “Need any more help son?” I looked over and saw that this guy was a very high ranking officer. I was shocked but did get out a no thank you sir and smiled and said some type of nice comments to me and then left.

One night I had to go to the other side of the hospital and Tom came along to help with whatever it was I had to do. All of a sudden he took my hand, held it, and kind of swung our arms back and forth, laughing and chatting away as we walked. I was embarrassed and worried someone would see this. Later I asked our interceptor if Tom liked guys. He wanted to know what I meant and I told him what happened. He told me that Tom really liked me, that I was kind to him and that I liked everybody. He said the hand holding fell into their custom. He also told me Tom was married and had a number of kids. He told me of mistreatment Vietnamese have had, mistreatment from the French before us as well as from some of the Americans now in their Country.

Tom was there my entire tour and I’m not sure I had the chance to tell him goodbye. I left suddenly, right at the end of my tour, due to emergency leave. I often wonder about him, especially what happened to him after the Americans left and what his fate was. After all, he was a former ARVN and worked for the Americans.

Almost Scalped

A young soldier came into us who had most of his scalp torn off. It was night and he was running, he apparently ran into the metal sheets with holes in it slides together for the helipads, etc. For some reason this material was elevated, but not enough to where one could avoid running into it. I can still see him laying on a litter in the ER. His scalp still connected in the back bottom of his head by about six inches or so, hanging from his head. You could see his skull. If I remember it correctly, he laid there as they shaved the hair around his scalp where it was ripped off. They also shaved around the flap of the scalp that was hanging. Once that was completed they kept irrigating the wound with saline solution and began to sew it back together. It was strange to be there and watch this procedure as well as having the GI talking as he scalp was sewn back together. After they were done, they told him they would have to keep coming back to the hospital for a number of days so they could insert a syringe to suction out any blood that he may be bleeding under his scalp.

I spoke with the doctor later. I asked him if he was going to be OK. He said it would and that he was going to have a terrible headache.

I keep trying to read information on the Internet regarding people who may have had this happen. I always think of this young GI and what the end result was and did this all end up OK for him. Most times I am so overwhelmed with memories and not knowing the outcome makes it even worse. I just feel so lost sometimes.

The Loach chopper and the burned pilot.

It was just getting dark as the radio came to life that we had a burn patient coming in via chopper in five minutes. I remember that we not only needed a gurney but a litter as well.  From what I remember it was bringing in a chopper pilot. We got the gurney and litter ready and got on the helipad. Much to our surprise a small "Loach" chopper was coming in wildly for a landing and was all over the place. As it landed, it was sliding across the helipad heading for us. We dived out of the way fearing we would get hit by it or the rotors. It came to a stop and the door opened and out came the burned pilot. His shirt was burned off and he was screaming in pain holding both his arms up once he got away from the chopper. There was no laying him on the litter, just him screaming and literally running with us into the ER a short distance away. It was no wonder the pilot was flying wildly. Not only flying that small chopper with a wounded soldier in it, but one of his own, another pilot.

Burn patients were the worst. The smell of burned flesh, the pain, the treatment and the recovery. Of everything I saw and did, burned patients were the worse.