My dad was in basic in Ft. Knox the same year you were.
I can't get this quote thing right. Cecil a lot of us were in the armed services at that time period as it was required everyone had to serve. Most of my classmate buddies went into the Navy. Two went to the air force, one flying refueling jet tankers until he retired, the other the electronics man in a two-man jet. One joined the National Guard before he was 18 and served at home. I was the only one that went to the army. The older brother of the one that flew the jet tanker was shot down in Vietnam and his jet was found in the jungle, and his remains returned some thirty years later to our small town here in Indiana. At the end of his services in the cemetery and just as taps were being played, 5 jets flew over and shot straight up in the air. It was beautiful and timing was perfect. My tombstone is only 50 feet from his.
So true John so true. So tragic to hear of your classmate that was shot down. I get angry when i think of the sam sites in Hanoi we weren't allowed to destroy. A lot of choopers were shot down in Vietnam too. I think i heard something like 800?
My dad says a lot of the guys in his basic went to Korea and he never saw them again. I think my dad started out in an engineer battalion. He then went to airborne triaining and ended up in Special Forces. Eventually he served in Vietnam and Cambodia. Retired as a Msgt.
I'm going to try and dig up a photo of him standing near a couple of jounalists. I said, "Dad do you know who that is?" he didn't much care as he wasn't fond of jounalists as he indicated they would comoromise a mission in a heartbeat if it meant a story. Anyway i told him it was Morlely safer (sp?) of 60 minutes.
