SwiftVets.com

[Stevie]

about a week ago, I got an email that one of my old school buddies (a guy I knew even in grade school) wanted to contact me (classmates.....etc place);
so whatever it was I had to do (don't even remember now)... I did and we've been email / instant msgr back and forth.
I really remembered this guy. I remembered that HE was the one who used to pull my pigtails in 5th grade (sat behind me)!
Remember him? who could forget him! he was the orneriest (is that a word?) kid in school!
What fun to hear from him after all these yrs ! we've been out of HS for 36 yrs!

but, when I asked what happened to him in HS.... I didn't remember him being around - at least in senior yr....
he told me - he'd been kicked out (Catholic HS) and went over to the public school....where he again got in trouble .... and was 'forced' (by his dad?) to join the Marines..... and he went to Vietnam.
he doesn't have good memories (gee?)....I dont think he ran around with a video camera so he'd have a record of his stay there...
he doesn't talk about it much.
He did say he got spit on numerous times when he came back.... and lost out on several jobs because he was a VV.
I have suggested he come here (military forum). so maybe he will. I hope so. Ya'll are such a great bunch.

but, I'm so glad he made it back alive... and looked me up after all these years.... we are having fun remembering our childhood / teenage yrs (most of them anyway).
_________________
Stevie
Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage
morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should
be arrested, exiled or hanged.

[dusty]

That's fun isn't it Stevie? Glad you and he are having a 'good' experience with the reunion.
Good to hear some nice, easy, good time news from somewhere. hehe
A funny story about one of my old 'friends' from gradeschool. When he got married, he asked me to take pics at the wedding with his complicated 35mm camera. I did. Saw him again a couple weeks later and he tells me that all the pics came out blank. I've felt bad about it ever since. (45 yrs. now) He still lives in our hometown but I moved out of state at age 27 and haven't seen him since.
So about a yr. ago, he got my e-mail address from another friend and we got back in touch.
He and his wife (can't believe she kept him all these yrs.) dropped by our place one day last yr. and I mentioned to his wife how bad I still felt about the wedding pics. She then informs me that her practical joker husband, my 'friend', had been telling a story and the pictures came out great.
Glad I have a 'sense of humor'. hehe

Dusty

[Stevie]

wow! dusty, you sure are taking that well! all those yrs thinking you
messed up the weddig pics? sounds like that guy is just as ornery as my
buddie!
Yeah, a real time machine experience! We're much alike .... and I find I
can even 'finish' some of his stories... like what ornery thing he did in a given situation... ; I'm pretty ornery also!
I do love talking to him. and I'm hoping he will sign on (or just read) here eventually. Clearly he is still hurting from VN. Not that reading here will take all that away, but I think it does help to communicate with others who experienced the same thing.
He is the only person I know of from school who served in VN (many others did I'm sure, I just didn't keep up with what they did after HS).

God bless him and all of you who so bravely serve our country.
_________________
Stevie
Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage
morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should
be arrested, exiled or hanged.