Every time I'm with my Dad, I learn something new about him. We just got back from Florida and this trip happened to be over Veteran's Day. My nephew's school had an assembly in which they invited family members who were Vets. My Dad was in the Air Force and was in Vietnam. This was the first time I have ever heard him talk about his experience there. He didn't go into great detail, but I wanted to write down what I could remember. My Dad was an Air Craft Mechanic. He worked the Rebel Run, which was the "quick fix" shop for air crafts. He enlisted at the age of 17 and was in Vietnam when he was 19 (so around 1966-67). The base he was on was rumored to be bombed one particular night, but they kept my Dad there anyway. Many of his coworkers were sent to Cam Rahn Bay (I believe this is where they were sent--I am not positive). That night, Cam Rahn Bay was bombed instead. My Dad was sent there the day after. What I did not realize, was that even as an aircraft mechanic, he had people shooting at him. He said, there were a number of times when bullets would go whizzing by his head. I am overwhelmed at the thought of what those men and women went through over there. I'm overwhelmed by what my Dad heard and saw and experienced. Images he still won't talk about today. I'm in my mid 30's and this is the most information I've ever heard about his experience. It makes me appreciate the military that much more. I'm so grateful for their service and sacrifice.
My Dad was also a Vietnam vet and also doesn't talk about it much. I'm glad you could capture these memories from him. I should really ask my Dad about his service. All I know is that he was exposed to Agent Orange which is liked to various cancers, including kidney cancer (that my dad had). It is one lasting effect of the war we could do without.
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