The day wore on, my time spent playing with Julie, watching her sleep, and trying most unsuccessfully to write about what had happened to me in Vietnam. How to tell a story and have it accepted in a time when no such story was going to be received by anything other than derision, doubt, and dissension. I had no title for the work. Audie Murphy had already used the title ‘To Hell and Back,’ but it wouldn’t work for me even if it hadn’t been used. I was not fully back. The world as I knew it had changed so much in such a brief period of time that I couldn’t truly come to grips with it.
Mary was off with an overjoyed Bart Abrate doing what they both would be having a wonderful time doing, decorating an entire living area. The radiance I’d seen shine out from Abrate’s face when I told him we were going to the O’Club the following day had been something to witness. That the nice, but so very gay presenting man had no idea about the rather rough white water I was about to place him atop might take him over waterfalls he was in no way ready for. I had nothing against Colonel Fennessey, and in fact, found his apology to be the act of a classy intelligent leader. I’d invited Abrate to get furniture, a payment plan I could afford, and to send a lance of fire directly at Major Stewart. I was not about to forget his comment. That I could no longer call in a ‘battery of six’ made me feel powerless to deal with such death-deserving apes come down from the trees.
I often wonder do you know if Nguyen lived though the last night in 30 days? I remember reading one of the chapters where you thought you saw him but you were thinking it was a dream. I think it was when your bein put into a plane and you were drugged up for pain or to rest on the flight.
The Gunny and Nguyen survived and made it back to the U.S. He will appear in the later books of the TCL series as he got to the states with his family.
The Gunny I met but would have nothing to do with me so I never went back after talking to him back in 1985.
Semper fi,
Jim
Lt. anxious to see new chapters published
Sir, Here it is October 12 and this is the last chapter I have access to. Have I missed some or has something happened to you? Sure hope you are okay.
Semper Fi, Paul Baptiste
Anything else coming LT? I still have so many questions!
Hope you are well and enjoying the Wisconsin fall! It’s already long-sleeve uniform weather on shift here in WV.
Be safe and Semper FI !
Beach
Lt. your experiences , and your writing about them , hit home with me . Many years , three failed marriages , a trip to the VA , helped me to start crawling out of the hole known as ” The Nam “. The ” Hill Battles ” of Khe Sanh “, 1st B/9th Marines , was were the damage started , and still to this day , the memories remain. Bless you for sharing your experience as it’s helped so many of us veteran’s . Bless you sir !!
James, once more you have transported me to a time and place I barely remembered.
Yeah, there were a lot of fellow sailors who looked down on those of us who had gone to Nam. And the world HAD changed while we were gone. A lot of hatred and strife, of some looking down their nose at us.
You know, there was a long, long time before I openly acknowledged I had been over there. Had not discussed it with either of my two wives. And both of my marriages were impossible for me to continue with. The VA Psycho Doc finally got me talking about it. Don’t know why we hadn’t spoken much of the experiences we had had. Kind of sealed within ourselves.
But, she brought me out of my shell, and now I do wear a Vietnam Vet ball cap – and get MANY “thank you’ s” from people I come into contact with.
And it was largely YOU, and your 30 Days. Not that I experienced things as you did – mine was a relatively isolated existence over there. But you wrote from your heart, it touched me, and at least cracked the shell I had been living in. Thank you.
thanks Craig for that major compliment. I know that Vietnam is still not much of an acceptable topic or background to have.
I was about to take on four vets running the bus honor trip back and forth to Washington today at the fair. They cut me off at the pass.
They said they’d heard of me and that I was a Marine hero. I didn’t know what to say to that. I was stunned. I do not see myself that way
at all but I couldn’t tell them that. I bowed and gracefully departed. I’m not used to that at all.
Here I was ready to fight because they don’t take vets who started service before 1966 and I was 67. But I couldn’t lodge my complaint.
I don’t need the bus tour. I need guys like you to keep me going though. Thanks ever so much.
Semper fi,
Jim
Jim are you okay? At the rate we’re going Lt. I don’t know if we’re going to make it to the end or not?
When you described Mary with all her strengths, I was compelled to ask you to post a photo of her. Then I thought that it would be best to let my imagination develop an image to my own ideal. You are blessed to have someone in your life like her to help. Is it strange that most of us can not open up to our wives about our fears because we feel we must protect them.
I certainly hope you got closer to Col. Hennessey…..at least in a less formal military way. He sounds like a GREAT leader who isn’t full of himself because of his rank and respects everyone around him for what they have accomplished in their own careers. Too many of the “leaders” you encountered from the day you arrived in country – through your 30 days both in the valley and from the rear – and many (not all) through your hospitalization nightmare were arrogant, cocky, spiteful, jealous and to me, didn’t deserve the positions they held over other peoples lives. Col. Hennessy doesn’t seem to be any of that. In Vietnam I was luckily blessed with mostly great leaders – from a Battalion Commander (Col. Simpson) who truly loved us, to good company commanders (a Capt. Banks), to platoon commanders (Lt. Krulak, later who served as Commandant), Lt. Butts – a mustanger who was a phenomenal leader, to one company Gunny (GySgt. Wilson who was an unbelievable combat leader and always led from the front). Semper fi Lt
Who recommended you for your decorations? You weren’t exactly on the hq xmas card list. Who had the integrity and bxxxs to do the right thing?
In the 101st, we understood “ War is hell, but actual contact is a MF”
This is more a question than a comment, although I am enthralled with your story. So proud of you and all the other marines and soldiers who fought for us. It sounds like you had a chest full of medals. What were they and when were you awarded them. You deserved them for sure. Also, do you have any info on how many of the marines made it out of that nightmarish night you were wounded. I sure hope most of them survived. Sorry the gunny rebuffed you. I thought I respected him.
Rank has little bearing on friendship with shared experiences. A little something I learned coming back to the land of roundeyes.
SEMPER Fi
That is so true SgtBob. I must cannot stress this enough, although the training of the time did not support that opinion.
Thanks for the great informative comment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Thanks for writing. I’m there with you and not sure if I should continue or break off. It sets off what I’ve been trying to suppress.
Don’t mean to hurt you Cary. The evidence of what happened to us is hard to accept…as the mythology is so overwhelming.
Thanks if you hang with me but you will never be alone as long as you are on here with us…the real deal.
Semper fi,
Jim
the best commanders that I served under all had one thing in common, they didn’t seem to understand that they were exceptional leaders. They where simple men who thought first of those who they commanded. When you met one you stood up an noticed. Lt. Sir, Many of us have seen that in you, not from the words on these pages but from the actions of those around you. I am Army through and through but “Semper fi”
Mr. Strauss, I have thoroughly been engrossed in your writings.
Thank you for your service.
Did you ever list who survived the “30 Days” series and what the the other “survivors” pursued afterwards?
Three guys reached ou two me from the companies I commanded. All three sent similar comments about how they could not believe how I could remember it all so well to this day…and it took them
back. I won’t reveal who they are because I got the distinct feeling that they didn’t want that. They all sent only one liners! I did not know any of the three of them who survived. The Gunny survived and I think
I’ve told that story of meeting hem…but then he wouldn’t have anything to do with me, which was hard. Tex’s family has been in contact with me and they have been great.
Thanks for caring and asking…
Semper fi,
Jim
Great read James.
Just a little confused here, Sir, was that the last chapter?
Nope, not yet. I will finished in two more, I think or maybe three. I must get to the part where I went to work
for Nixon at his Western Whitehouse estate.
Semper fi,
Jim
Another great chapter! Welcome home and thank you for everything you have done and continue to do !!
At least you have your wife daughter to keep you from going back down that deep, dark hole LT. And you might not be able to call in that “battery of six” anymore, but we’re all pretty sure you can damn well “fire for effect” on ’em. Semper Fi Sir.
The circle of events keeps getting tighter and tighter James. Thanks for putting out 4 chapters so quick. Lt. Jackman sure looks like a keeper to me. I am surprised at a 5 mile run/walk in your condition, talk about dedication.
Missing a word here I believe: He didn’t wear a but he had a big yellow Hibiscus flower in his left lapel buttonhole.
This Cowardly Lion is shaping up to be a very good example of the transition to “normal” life endured by Nam Vets. Thank you.
Thank you, Bob.
Yes the word is HAT and I have corrected it
Semper fi,
Jim
I had to come to the web page to get to the chapter. The email links sent me to some page that caters to authors.. Still enjoying your story. Thank you.
As the second email mentioned a mistake was made. But you must remember Chuck is ‘getting old’
~~smile
I sense some darkness in this chapter, then a jump to humor. You sure know how to mix it up LT. Thank you sir, keep it coming.
Don’t stop now. Having 4 Truly great chapters so soon after the drought was fantastic. Thank you for sending the book, your check is on the way.
Thanks Frank…men like you on here, so much integrity and honor. It’s wonderful to be a part of.
You renew my spirit and I cannot thank you enough for your support.
Semper fi,
Jim
Sure hope there is a new installment coming soon. Had to re-read the last three last evening to refresh my memory. Hope you are ok.
James, That was some powerful introspective writing. The interaction with Jackman
says much about both of you. We shall see if the two of you are able to say more.
A big smile for the scene of Piaget treating Mary like a goddess.
Some minor editing suggestions follow:
The hotel was apparently survived
Maybe “surviving” instead of “survived”
The hotel was apparently surviving
revenue of very few residents the place had.
Maybe add “the” before “very”
revenue of the very few residents the place had.
I’d wake up every morning, or the many times
Maybe drop the “the”
I’d wake up every morning, or many times
Having only one hip
Maybe drop the “only”
Having one hip
I sat back down. next to Julie’s crib
There’s an extraneous period after “down”
I sat back down next to Julie’s crib
automatic needed to be kept in. deep dark reserve
There’s an extraneous period after “in”
automatic needed to be kept in deep dark reserve
I rocked back and bit and smiled
Maybe “a” instead of “and”
I rocked back a bit and smiled
He didn’t wear a but he had a big yellow Hibiscus
Maybe just drop everything before “He had”
He had a big yellow Hibiscus
“You have that stuff on your shirt,” he nodded at my ribbons,
However from above
We were both in civilian attire, me in my running outfit
Maybe change to
“You have that stuff on your shirt,” alluding to my ribbons,
Blessings & Be Well
What would I do without you, Dan?
You are fantastic and so supportive.
Corrections made.
Thank you
Se,per fi,
Jim
Dan, I badly need Down in the Valley to be edited. Can you do that? I’ll send you a hard copy if you can.
I get a lot of complaints on Amazon about the poor editing but I can see to do the editing properly.
Thanks, and temper fi,
Jim
James, I see Down in the Valley is online so I could read it and use the comments for editing suggestions. Should I do it, it will be slow. I am invested in 30 Days and the Cowardly Lion because of my Vietnam experience. You do the heavy lifting. I do my small part.
Let’s continue this conversation via e-mail.
Thank you for all you do for this venture.
I am going to have Chuck Bartok contact you and set up access for you.
James, I do some editing for authors such as C. G. Cooper – also a Marine, but of a later period. I’ll also volunteer to do some of the editing.
Craig, thank you. DanC and you. I don’t know what I would do without the help.
I much appreciate anything you might want to help with. We’ll be putting the TCL first book
together over the next few weeks if you feel like you want to take a look at the totality.
Semper fi,
Jim
Thanks James, this episode might seem mundane to us but it ain’t to you. Welcome back Lt.!
I find this to be some of your finest writing. Seeing you re-assemble and assimilate into a life. Slowly accepting some people into it, building what was taken.
Well Jim, it gets better with every chapter. I’ll bet you didn’t expect the kind of fraternizing you’re getting when you were ordered to this Command. Things are looking up every day by the wagonful!!
We have discussed your growth from FNG to Company Cdr in the Ashau….but back in the “world” you couldn’t hide as a 2ndLt because of those medals. Even if you were a Mustang Warrior with medals you would not have been a Company Leader….shit the Corps could not figure you out and then you were dropped into “the land of fruits and nuts”! Good thing you did not travel with that 1911
S/F
Always doomed to fly cover for me Homan! Thanks for the accurate and astute analysis. Few people know me like you do,
and some of that is simply because of our valley and what that valley changed us into. The ride has been quite something since
those days and it’s interesting to be so vividly involved with writing about it all now. It just comes back as I sit down.
Semper fi,
Jim
Not being military, I ‘m guessing that if you didn’t wear your breadboard with all your medals you’d be considered to be out of uniform?
I have no idea what you went thru in the Nam, I served my time in the states. Your writing lets me feel a very small part of it, I almost can smell the jungle and feel the rain. the terror that I know that I would have scares me. You are my favorite author since The first ten days. Thank you for your service
It makes my day when I see you have put a new chapter up.
You still write in a way that makes us feel we are standing right there as the events unfold.
Thanks, LT.
Keep ’em coming.
A few edits needed?
“He didn’t wear a but he had a big yellow Hibiscus flower in his left lapel buttonhole.” ??
“I rocked back and bit and smiled to myself,…”
I think JACKMAN was in a support role to someone else over there?