Martin Luther King Day 2016

Today I was thinking about different Black GI's I served with and have certain fond memories of our paths crossing. In Basic Training I drank all my water from my canteen way too quickly and really needed a drink. A GI in my platoon was drinking from his canteen and handed it over to me for a drink and gave me some good advice on not guzzling my water. Sure glad he was there and willing to share. A Sargent I worked under at the 24th talked to me about busing as they started busing either close to his town or in his town. He asked if it started where I lived. I told him I went to school with all different races including Blacks. He was surprised by that. At one time he needed around $200 (possibly more)and asked me to loan it and he would pay me in the following next months pay. (I'm always broke and never ever seem to have money except when I was in Nam. I guess there was no way I could really spend it.) I really didn't think anything about it and lent him the money. Next pay he just came and paid me back. He was a good guy and even though I don't have many pictures from Nam, I have a few with him in them and it brings a smile to my face knowing things we went through together and just what a good guy he was. I also used to play cards at night with an older Sargent if we found the time. He too was a good guy and I gave him my deck of cards when I left. (They were actually kind of expensive back then and I realized why when I got them back to the hootch as they were some type of plastic and really held their shape, didn't bend, etc.) I was fortunate in many ways to have crossed paths with these and others so I think of you even more so on this day.