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TO ALL CONCERNED.

I LEFT VIETNAM 2 DAYS BEFORE McCAIN WAS SHOT DOWN OVER N VIETNAM.

I WAS BLOWN UP THREE TIME (I THINK). I REMEMBER TWO TIMES - THE THIRD TIME I VAGUELY REMEMBER PARTS OF.

COINCIDENTALLY, I WAS 50 - 60 FEET FROM NUEN NOK LOAN WHEN HE SHOT THE VC IN THE HEAD ( NEWSWEEK COVER PAGE ).

I WAS PERFORMING AN EXTRACTION OF 3 OF OUR MEN FROM A (SUPPOSEDLY SAFE REGION OF SAIGON)

I HEARD THE SHOT AND MEN AND MY COMPANIONS ALL TURNED OUR GUNS ON THE SOUND OF THE SHOT (50-60 FEET AWAY),
I SAW THE VC DROP TO THE GROUND AND THE NATIONAL POLICE REACTED JUST AS WE DID. WE ALL FACED EACH OTHER WITH WEAPONS AT THE THE READY (SAFETIES OFF)

NUEN NOC LOAN SAW US AND WAVED OFF HIS SOLDERS.
HE RECOGNIZED ME AND I WAS ALREADY AWARE OF HIS PRESENCE.
I DID NOT KNOW THAT THAT SCENE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED FOR OVER 15 YEARS WHEN I SAW IT ON THE COVER OF NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE.

NUEN AND I HAD DINNER THREE TIME PRIOR TO THAT INCIDENT BUT WE NEVER SAW EACH OTHER FROM THAT DAY FORWARD.

WHEN HE SAW ME HE SAID “YOU NUMBER 10 GI” WHICH WAS A BACKHANDED COMPLIMENT AMONG FRIENDS.

HE LOST 4 OF THIS FAMILY THAT DAY.
WE LOST A 5 YEAR OLD WHO WAS TAKEN BY THE VC, A 8 OLD BOY AND A 12 YEAR OLD GIRL PLUS THEIR GRANDPARENTS WHO WERE BABYSITTING THEM AND WHO WERE ALL SHOT IN THE HEAD AND IN HE DITCH AND WHO WERE MEMBERS OF OUR BARRACKS MAMASONS.

THEIR HUSBANDS WERE VIETNAMESE FIGHTER PILOTS AND NEITHER MOTHERS OR HUSBANDS KNEW THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDPARENTS WERE ALL DEAD AT THE HAND OF THE VC UNTIL MUCH LATER THAT DAY AND THAT NUEN HAD JUST SHOT THEIR ASSASSIN.

NUEN NOC LOAN LOST MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY THAT DAY. OVER 65 BODIES WERE FOUND IN THE DITCH BEHIND THE BUILDINGS WHERE WE WERE STANDING.

MY TEAM WAS NEVER AWARE OF THIS. WE WERE JUST TRYING TO GET OUT GUYS OUT OF AN APARTMENT AND BACK TO THE BASE.

I DID NOT KNOW THIS EITHER UNTIL WELL OVER 15 YEARS WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS PICTURE ON THE COVER OF NEWSWEEK