By 1984, the medic had established a new life in a small town in Northern California. He was a Medical Imaging Technologist, and recently remarried. He and his new wife were involved in the community through their kids’ sports endeavors, and were content with their lives. The medic had thought about the guys he served with in Vietnam, but had not spent too much time dwelling on his feelings about his experience, except in his dreams.

In 1986, he and his wife purchased a home, and she found a box full of memorabilia from Vietnam in the move. This began a process that continues today, of self-discovery and the discovery of friends from the past. In 1988, the medic and his wife took a trip to Washington, D.C. to see the Vietnam Memorial Wall. He wanted to pay tribute to those he had served with, especially those he had been with during the last moments of their lives.

Willie Hunter, the medic’s best friend, had been one of the soldiers he comforted in the last moment’s of his life. At the Wall, the medic found Hunter’s hometown and fulfilled a long-time promise to himself that he would locate Hunter’s mother and talk to her about her son’s experience.

As the medic and his wife began to experience the empty nest syndrome in 1995, the medic met a patient who was dealing with injuries from the war. As the two began to develop a friendship, they began to share details about their respective experiences in Vietnam that they had never been able to share with others. The patient suggested that the medic ought to join him at a Vietnam veteran support group meeting, or to talk to someone about his feelings, but the medic was hesitant. After a little more prodding, the medic went to a therapist and joined a support group meeting, and this changed his life.

In 1997, the medic, encouraged by his wife, went back to Vietnam with her and five veterans and their families. He visited many battle sites, and the tunnels, but probably the most moving, was revisiting Hoc Mon Bridge and Hoc Mon village—the site of the March 4, 1968 battle that killed or wounded most of the medic’s platoon (3^rd Platoon). (The medic and his wife would encourage anyone thinking of returning to Vietnam to do so, because it was a positive experience, and a beautiful country.)

Since before the trip to Vietnam, the medic’s wife had been talking about buying a computer. The medic wasn’t too interested in having one at home, but for Christmas in 1998, he relented and they bought a computer. This became one of his most effective tools for reuniting the guys he served with. The computer allowed the medic to search for vets via e-mail, and to connect with the 25^th Infantry Division Association Web page (http://www.25thida.com). The medic wondered and prayed about the men, "Are these guys okay? Are they the same? Did I do everything I could? Have their emotional wounds healed as well as their physical wounds?"

He made a promise to God that he would make a cash donation to his church for each man he could find, and so far has paid up for seven guys. The answers to his questions and prayers came as he connected with more and more vets he had served with, and on May 7, 1999, thousands of miles from Southeast Asia, four vets from D Company 2^nd/12^th INF 25^th DIV who couldn’t wait another minute, saw each other for the first time since 1968.

After the reunion, the medic’s feelings from Vietnam were confirmed – he could never have served with a more honorable, dedicated and distinguished group of men. In the fall of 1999, a larger reunion is planned. With four old friends and their wives, the connection was overwhelmingly positive. With a larger group, it can only get better. For more information, contact the Ken Blakely, "Doc" of D Company 2^nd/12^th INF 25^th DIV, 707-462-3103 or via e-mail at doc@212veterans.org.

To D Company 2^nd/12^th INF, and all who served in the 25^th DIV, God bless you each!

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