[ConorMacNessa]

Dear Friends:

To all who have responded to this thread, thank you so much for the kind words recognizing the sacrifice and valiant service of my 3/5 Brothers. We will never forget them - they live forever in our memories, shining in youth and Valor.

Many of you who have responded to this thread are fellow Veterans, some of the Vietnam War, some of other conflicts and eras. Some are family of our military, past and present, while others are civilians who love the U.S.A. and value the service of our men and women in uniform. Some of you are well known to me from this forum, while I have not had the pleasure of chatting with many of you heretofore. Thank you all for your service and devotion to our Nation! Every person who has responded to this thread is an American Patriot and part of the reason that this Nation, despite its problems, is the greatest Nation ever to arise on the face of the Earth.

My service with the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, and the time I spent beforehand serving at USNH Quantico, remain for me the salient undertaking of my life. The Brotherhood of the United States Marine Corps is a brotherhood that endures long past one's time of active service. I have been the beneficiary of that Brotherhood, not only in Vietnam, but in numerous ways both before and after that time.

God Bless you all; God Bless our serving military, especially those in Harm's Way; and God Bless the United States of America!

Saepe Expertus, Semper Fidelis, Fratres Aeterni!

HM/2 Tom Mitchell



"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Doogle]

[laplata]

Beautifully said, Tom.

I salute you, Sir.

[Amberdawn]

God Bless YOU, Tom Mitchell, for your service. We wouldn’t have anything without our Veterans.

[smokingfrog]

Centuries ago words were written to be a call and a spur to the faithful servants of Truth and Justice: ‘Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valour, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar. As the will of God is in Heaven, even so let it be.’

W. C.

[AllAmericanGirl44]

Your words of thanks bring tears to my eyes.
It is US who thank YOU. Every MAN I’ve ever loved in this life, has been military. You MEN are THE best.

[Kilo 3 Actual 3-5 69]

From March 1969 to September 6 69 I was a platoon/commander commander for Kilo 3/5. I recognize a bunch of names on this list. It would be great to hear from any or all of you.

I have been in touch with Doug Chapin, Jim Bowen, Tom Leech, and Dave Dietz. All except Tom were wounded and never came back to the company. He was the only one of five of us from the same basic school class that was not wounded. My first Purple Heart came on May 31 and my second one was on September 6. That one put me in the hospital in Guam for 2 1/2 months.

The only reason I am alive today is tow of my favorite group of people (Navy Corpsmen) kept me alive with four pieces of shrapnel in my chest. Yeah, it was a sucking chest wound. I had so much trust in them, that I wouldn’t let the CO call a medevac from the Arizona until morning. We had sat in on a registration point and my CP took fifty-two 61 mm mortar around.

It would do my heart good to hear from anyone who served with Kilo in 1969. My email address is nnnrmc@icloud.com

Semper fi,
Nick McIntosh