SwiftVets.com

mtboone · Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 3:26 am Post subject: Back to Vietnam

Almost two years I went back to Vietnam, to a year out of my life that was such a defining part of my youth, to memories still so vivid. My wife, she let me go alone cause she is such a special person and she asked me to write a journal of my time back in time. To make it short, I had the emotional ride of my life for 10 days, re-visiting my base and seeing Vietnam from the shore looking out to sea and not the sea looking into the the shore as it was back then. I went back to put the past, the ghosts or whatever you call them behind me and to put into perspective what happened 33 years ago. I had the time of my life with the Vietnamese and seeing how their lives had become and I came back feeling how strong they were and that are trying to put their lives together again.. As I flew out of Saigon on the last day, I wrote in my journal "I came back expecting to find some of the past, but all I found was the present and that is what it should be." I thought I had gotten in behind me. Now the prospect of jfk becoming the POTUS and the emotion of his discourse from the 70's has brought back the bad emotions and feelings of that time when the veteran could not talk about being in Vietnam, had to keep it to himself when it was discussed or face ridicule. We cannot let this man make a mockery of his dis-service to rise above the men and women he left behind. After he is defeated in this election, we must go after him in his home state and defeat his attempt at being elected as a Senator.
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Terry Boone PCF 90
Qui Nhon 68-69

Theresa Alwood · Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 3:31 am Post subject:

Mr. Boone,

As always, it is a honor. Thank you.

Theresa

mtboone · Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 4:22 am Post subject:

As always, it is a honor

The Honor should go to those that did not come back, They gave all. We came back and had a life, a family and lived more years after Vietnam than those that died so early and so young. Go to this site http://www.mwweb.com/ndc/SwiftBoats/Swifthome.htm and click on the names in blue, see the face with the name on the Wall and see how young they were, see the faces that jfk called "Baby killers" and think of how their families must think; did my son, brother, father do these things and they cannot tell them or anyone "I DID NOT do those things!"
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Terry Boone PCF 90
Qui Nhon 68-69

LewWaters · Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 4:36 am Post subject:

Terry, I know what you mean. I've contemplated a return visit as well, but just can't bring myself to do it. Some buddies have returned and shared pictures and told how everything we remembered was gone, including a stone chapel mostly destroyed GIs were building at Lane Army Heliport, An Son, Central Highlands. Maybe one day.

As for the emotions, yes, I too thought it was behind me and that little by little, I could educate those close to me about the truth of it all. Kerry comes along and stirs it all up again, to his own grandiosity. This election is personal and I'm with you all 110%.

I couldn't agree with you more about the 58,000 names on the wall, either.
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Clark County Conservative

rbshirley · Founder Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 394

BuffaloJack · Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 11:28 pm Post subject:

I can't imagine the Qui Nhon Markettime Base looking like those photos.
I still think of the hootches by the water's edge, the com center, the club and those half dozen huge fuel storage tanks up on the hill.
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Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71)

mtboone · Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 11:30 pm Post subject:

Buffalo Jack, when where you there and send me your email address and I will send you some photos back channel. Did we cross paths per chance?
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Terry Boone PCF 90
Qui Nhon 68-69

mtboone · Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:38 am Post subject:

Bob Shirley and I have only met once, at our last reunion but he is a comrade forever. He does have one of the best web sites on Swift boats at http://www.pcf45.com/ and he not only shows what a Swift boat was, how we lived, but also some of the heroic actions of the crews and the sacrifices made by such young men doing their job and paying the Final Measure. These are some of the men and womem that Kerry dishonored in the years after he left Vietnam and yet he so proudly states that he is proud of what he did then in 71 with his testimony. This group has risen above all expectations in their achievements and it will go down as the most important aspect of this election and maybe all elections to date, you should all be so proud of your actions and contributions and I, we or no one can Thank You enough for your sacrifice but I hope you know you are so greatly appreciated.
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Terry Boone PCF 90
Qui Nhon 68-69