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I am hidden away in the turret on the right side of the tank. That particular day, I was filling in on the company commander’s tank has a temporary replacement gunner, until repairs on my tank were completed. It had run over a mine and blown off a couple of road wheel arms and road wheels.

NOBODY who spent time out in the bush stayed dry in Vietnam. You were just more or less wet on any particular day, especially during monsoon season!!!

Thanks for the update. I thought that was just a great photo.

We (and the free nations of that region) owe you and your brothers-in-arms a debt that we cannot fully repay. A leader in the region, a man Kissinger dubbed “the mayor of a middle-sized city”, was extremely grateful, although he let his actions, rather than mere words, do the talking:
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/mr-lee-told-americans-what-they-ought-to-do

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I met Lee Kuan Yew when he came to Harvard in 1967. Singapore had just become an independent country, and Lee its Prime Minister. At that time, all the Harvard faculty knew about him was that he was the head of a semi-socialist party, so they assumed he was a “brother” who would agree with their political judgments. He came into the room, dynamic, electric, as he always was, and he said, “I’d like to hear what you all think about Vietnam.” They proceeded to debate whether Lyndon Johnson was a psychopath or merely a war criminal. They did not come to a final conclusion. The Dean turned to Lee expecting great approval. He said: “Now, Mr Prime Minister, we would like to hear what you think.” Lee Kuan Yew replied: “You make me sick.”

Those were the first words that I ever heard him say. He went on to explain why a strong, self-confident America was essential to the balance of his region. He said Singapore could not survive in a world in which America, out of self-doubt, did not play its indispensable role.
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