Vietnam, 1967...I’d been there three months shy of a year, anxiously waiting to go home. Still, it was a long way to go when you’re sitting in a war zone when anything can happen. Monkey Mountain located north of Da Nang and close to China Beach was where I was assigned along with the Marines to defend an important radar site.
Instead of being in a bunker on the top of the mountain like I usually was, I happened to be in a bunker at the base camp below. I saw a chopper coming in from the south and it landed in the L.Z. (landing zone) about 50 yards from my bunker. Out stepped General James Stewart, by far my favorite actor. As a matter of fact he was the very reason I joined the Air Force in the first place. When I was a kid Dad took me to see Strategic Air Command starring Jimmy Stewart and June Allison. I was sold and I knew after graduation I was going to join. What is ironic is that my first duty assignment after after basic training and tech school was SAC (Strategic Air Command Headquarters 20 miles south of Omaha, Nebraska. When I retired I was at another SAC base; coincidence or what? So , back to that day so long ago when I was in that bunker which I could not desert it to go meet James Stewart. I was there with my M-16 keeping him out of harms way. Years later, in was reading an article in the Reader’s Digest about the making of “it’s a Wonderful Life by James Stewart. It was then I found a window of opportunity to possibly get in touch with him and I did with the help of the Editor of Reader’s Digest. A month later a letter came postmarked Beverly Hills California. I still get goose bumps thinking about the letter he sent me, a personal letter acknowledging my thoughtfulness and he reflected on that trip to Vietnam and Monkey Mountain. I will always treasure that letter and I keep it in a frame in a safe place.
I’m not sure how many words are acceptable here, but being in Vietnam was an experience I think about daily. I will never erase the memory of those brave souls who never made it home like I did! I struggled with guilt, alcohol, divorce, and homelessness before I got sober 29 years ago this December. One day I felt a need to take out my guitar and write a song about how I was feeling and thought it might help me heal. Now, with the help of a musician friend who put it together in a video on YouTube, which I feel is helping my fellow Veterans with their struggles; which include P.T.S.D. and wounds beyond belief; wounds of physical, as well as psychological proportions! If my song their song) helps just one Veteran of Vietnam and other wars including the current wars, then I have done the best I could do to help them!
Sincerely, with Peace Always!