MUSIC: "PACHELBEL'S CANON"

I DEDICATE THIS PAGE TO THE GLORY OF GOD ALMIGHTY WHO BROUGHT ME HOME FROM THE WAR IN VIET NAM, WITH RELATIVELY MINOR WOUNDS.

I REMEMBER CO-PILOT WALTER WROBLESKI, WHO WAS SHOT DOWN WITH US ON 21 MAY 1967, WEST OF THE A SHAU VALLEY, WEST OF HUE AND PHU BAI. IT IS ONLY AFTER 30 YEARS THAT I HAVE LEARNED, THROUGH LIBRARY OF CONGRESS RECORDS, THAT HE WAS TAKEN POW.  TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE HE IS STILL MIA.

MAY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WATCH OVER HIM IF HE IS YET ALIVE.

I ALSO REMEMBER PFC MICHAEL GALLAGHER WHO GAVE HIS LIFE THAT SAME DAY TRYING TO RESCUE MY FELLOW CREWMEN, PILOT DONALD "Corky" CORKRAN and GUNNER GARY HALL.  ALTHOUGH I DID NOT KNOW GALLAGHER WELL, I AM REMINDED OF THE WORDS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS." (John 15:13)

 

I offer a HEARTY “THANK YOU!” to my fellow aviators and the CH46 crew of the 1st Marine Air Wing (1st MAW) for their part in extracting me from the jungle on 21 May 1967, during Operation Pirous (see summary of that operation,) as well as to all TAC/FAC and other tactical and coordinating personnel who made it possible for me to escape alive after I was shot down.

I salute all my fellow troops, and the support personnel, that obeyed, in good conscience, the call to arms in that grievous struggle.  In spite of our human frailties and differences, in spite of the insanity of politics, those I knew served with distinction, continuing to lay down their lives as best they could in the face of dire adversity.  Regarding conscientious objectors, bear with me in that I do not find fault with those souls who with honest and true searching of their hearts, minds, and souls before God were spiritually driven to declare themselves as objectors to the war.  I believe God gave some of them a quasi-prophetic ability to see the chicanery, lies, and duplicity of our government, things many of us could not see or did not want to see; things that have come to be known with disgust by most veterans who served in Viet Nam.  That type of honest moral dialog, examination, and personal stand I can understand.  BUT,  during the war and its aftermath, too ma