Veteran's Day
Jay Goolsby was my partner in the final graduation exercise of Special Forces Officer course in early 1970.
While on our final exercise, Jay and I screwed up in an ambush site. In effect, our MG was not properly hidden and camouflaged. Poor cover, poor concealment. We were told that would get us killed in Vietnam.
Upon graduation both of us went to 5th Group in the Republic of Vietnam, and were assigned to the Special Operations Augmentation. Jay went to the C and C's and I went to B53.
When reading the names as volunteer at the Traveling Wall exhibit, I realized that Jay's given name was the same as my own -- "James".
He was from Texas. He was a fine soldier and an American.
On that same day I also learned that SSG Kenneth Lovelace, who Ranger considered a friend, was from Bellfontaine, Ohio. We had been neighbors and served together for several months, yet we never talked about home. Ken Lovelace had four children and died at age 26, 21JAN70.
Three lives, two memories.
posted by rangeragainstwar at 10:56 PM
2 Comments:
so many names on that wall ranger. the last time i went to the traveling wall i took my son. we stopped and read the 43 names that died during a short span of hours, a little less than two days at dong ap bai. i told about the boys among them that i knew. we stopped at other places. once, during that time i choked up and couldn't go on for a while. my boy, being an intuitive type, knew right away and said "he was one of the guys that carried you when you were shot wasn't he?" i nodded. my son touched the name and said "thanks mike. thanks for my dad."
there are thousands of thanks up on that wall. tens of thousands of smiles and warm formaldehyde laced beers we shared over vicious poker games. days worth of hours and minutes making silly small talk to pass the time.
i love that fucking wall. i want to end the need for building anymore of them.
thanks for your service ranger. even though in the grander scheme of things it might seem futile and cruel, the guys to your immediate right and left will always think differently. that's all the meaning i need to get by.
MB.Actually i find it hard to consider my service significant when one thinks of the life long trauma and injuries sustained by so many fine young Americans in so many different campaigns. I say campaign for want of a more legitimate descriptor.
One cannot discount the sacrifices of our enemies also.
I do not have religion BUT military experience makes one believe that there must be an intelligent being out there somewhere.To date i have not seen it and am giving up hope.
My post left out that Ken was a member of B53/SOA.He was a short timer.
Lisa and I both were Volunteer readers at the moving wall.
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