VIETNAM, A FRIEND AND LIFE..

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother" Wm. Shakespeare
Just once in a while it happens like this, not all the time; thank God.

Like others of my generation I continue to be deeply effected by the Vietnam War; from the bloody, riot streets of Berkeley, to friends who hid in my home from the FBI, to counseling conscientious objectors and others who were mostly just afraid.

The seed of all of my actions then, and the way my life has turn to a large extent was born in the death PFC Richard R. Irwin Jr., “who died in the service of his country on October 9th, 1967 in Quang Tin Province. The cause of death was listed as Small Arms/AW. At the time of his death Richard was 20 years of age. He was from Arcadia, California. Richard is honored on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 27E, Line 80.”

It happened near a mountain called Nui Vu; Rick, the platoon's radio man, followed his lieutenant into the dense, wet jungle and fell into an enemy position. Rick carried the radio on his back that all Platoon Leaders depended upon. But that radio had a three foot antenna and was a beacon for the bad guys who knew immediately that an officer was nearby.

Never forgetting that, one Sunday in May of 2000 I left the following message on the Vietnam Memorial Virtual Wall website: "Sunglasses, roses and long life to a Hero: I knew Rick when I was in High School. He went off to Vietnam like others in our class did. We had no idea what it was all about. You were serving your country like our dad did. I have gone to his grave site (Rose Hills, Whittier California) for years to remember him and to remember other friends who died in the war.”

Now forty years from that day in a Vietnamese jungle I received this email:

Hi Frank,
I am Dick Arnold of the 35th Regiment Association. I served with Rick and knew him well; we came in-country about the same time. Very friendly and a bit of a character---really liked his beer as I recall. At the time of his death he was the radio man for our Platoon Leader, Lt Wm Bray, who died with Rick. It was a very big fight by Vietnam standards; we lost 11 men with several wounded including myself.

Just wanted to make you aware of all this and say thanks for remembering one of our guys. You for sure got it right in your post when you said none of us knew much about Vietnam--we were just doing our duty like our fathers before. Right you are Frank; but in my maturity I think maybe that was not all bad...
Kindest Regards,
Dick

Some time ago when I finally ran my fingers tips across Panel 27E, Line 80, I just started to cry. I figure I always will when I am there, or at Rose Hills with my sunglasses on or when I think about war. There just is no reason on earth why a 20 something surfer friend from high school had to die in a far away place. For any war; not any time. Never.


"He really liked his beer." Yeah, we both did...