..A Freeper Vet goes to the Vietnam Wall..

"ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET

...Over Veterans Day Weekend each year we surviving Veterans of the 1st Major Battle of the Vietnam War held in the Valley of Death that was the IA DRANG of 1965...

...greet the dawn's early light of a beautiful Sunday morning standing at the 3rd Panel of the Vietnam Wall. We go there, under the fresh shadow of the Washington Monument, to pay honor to our fallen U.S. 7th Cavalry Brothers who fell forever in that Valley of Death on behalf of the FREEDOM of Others.

...Though no exception, this year's Veterans Day Weekend in Washington, D.C. was truly unforgettable.

...Fellow IA DRANG Veteran and War Correspondent JOSEPH GALLOWAY, the only civilian who has been awarded a Bronze Star for Valor, writes about our IA DRANG Alumni Conference Weekend and of our obligation drawing us there for our fallen Brothers each year in his outstanding Kight-Ridder Article titled:

..'Remembering brothers on Veterans Day'

...A Link to this outstanding Article follows.

...Present and future U.S. 7th Cavalry Congressional Medal of Honor Recipiants stand side by side with the rest of us former U.S. 7th Cavalry SkyTroopers in unabashed gratitude at The Vietnam Wall to those who gave all they had long ago so that others may live in FREEDOM.

...This year's IA DRANG Alumni Conference Dinner Keynote Speaker was fellow IA DRANG Veteran JACK SMITH, now a retired ABC News Correspondent, who was wounded 4 times in the IA DRANG Valley 38 years ago. JACK SMITH's father was ABC News TV Anchorman HOWARD K. SMITH, the most honest of all American TV Anchormen reporting about our Fight for Freedom during the Vietnam War. This as opposed to former CBS News TV Anchorman WALTER CRONKITE ...who was lying to us on TV for the other side, our Communist Terrorist Enemy.

...JACK SMITH now finds himself in another fight for his life ...in a private war with Pancreatic Cancer.

...How profound it is to see today's Communist Vietnam, under threat from Terrorist Attacks and the encroaching Power of Communist China emerging all over East Asia, move closer to America for its own protection in a new Time of War. And to see an America reaching out to Communist Vietnam for exactly the same reasons..!!! It's a new World.

...Who would have thought so long ago in a land that was so very far away that we would live long enough to see this new world come our way back when...

.."WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE and YOUNG"..?

Signed:.."ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer / Vet-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965

NEVER FORGET

[patton]

Thank you, Ronnie.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

~An Open Letter From Vietnam Vets to our Fallen Brothers And Sisters From Vietnam~

We went to school with some of you, we knew you well. We held some of you as you died. We knew you well as patients or when you came home as POW's, and we were blessed to call you friends then too. So many of you we called friend and cried out in anguish when you gave the ultimate sacrifice for your country.

Years later as we walk the granite wall, we find your names. To this day, whether it's on the original wall, or on a replica, as fellow Vets, we cannot stop the emotions that overcome us. Unwelcome because each year we think we can control it, then we find we never seem to get a good "hold" on them. They taunt us and embarrass us and nearly bring us to our knee's with grief. Perhaps we'll never fully heal.

We miss you. We miss the lives you used to dream about with all of us and talk about with all of us. We loved you. We know how much you loved your Mom and Dad and brothers and sisters, and girlfriends. And your dreams. We had many hours to know each other. Which is why the welcome home cut like it did.

We swear this to you; This is OUR PLEDGE TO YOU (and has been for years, the Vietnam Vet pledge) "We will always honor you and every Veteran present and past and will actively work to assure you get the respect you deserve". Because of what happened to us we will never let another Vet stand alone, or be disrespected. Not for doing the right thing. Serving his country!

Because your sacrifice was SO GREAT, we will always HONOR our Vets the way YOU should have been honored!

We also promise this, you will be NOW. Every year...Always!!

Farewell and thank you beloved friends, our Hero's! Until we meet again.

Every Generation passes the Baton to the next. Our troops truly are the best. They are the essence of what makes us safe, strong and the BEST. We thank God everyday for being blessed with the best and the brightest.

God Bless Our Military and our Veterans!

[Vic3O3]

Thanks! and ping!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Amen.

[The Mayor]

[OldFriend]

Bless all who wear or wore the uniform and served their country with pride.

[donozark]

This month's VFW MAGAZINE has an article "Tangle in the Ia Drang Valley." Thanks be to you and all who "broke trail" for us late-comers...

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

...How profound it is to see today's Communist Vietnam, under threat from Terrorist Attacks and the encroaching Power of Communist China emerging all over East Asia, move closer to America for its own protection in a new Time of War. And to see an America reaching out to Communist Vietnam for exactly the same reasons..!!! It's a new World.

Bless you, Ronnie. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself ~ your passion and your wisdom ~ with us. You are very much appreciated!

Happy Veteran's Day, Ronnie. Welcome home.

[Euro-American Scum]

JACK SMITH now finds himself in another fight for his life ...in a private war with Pancreatic Cancer.

Very sorry to hear this.

[blackie]

Powerful Message ~ Bump!

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET



...and now for a Personal Vietnam Journey =


'WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE...& YOUNG'...4 FREEDOM


http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a39626542519c.htm



NEVER FORGET

[katnip]

That was a great thread that you linked there, Thanks.

I can't bump the old thread though, software won't let me.

[Soaring Feather]

Thank you and bump

[onyx]

BTTT --- I wish everyone would read your thread.

PKM --- get over here. :)

[Tribune7]

Thank you, Ronnie. Great link!

[ALOHA RONNIE]

...For my Bookmarked List of...

.."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. &...

.."Battle of IA DRANG" Threads...

...hit the "ALOHA RONNIE" here &...

...hit the "Links" on my Home Page


ENJOY

[wardaddy]

God bless and thank you.

[Soaring Feather]

:-)

[Diva Betsy Ross]

A "thank for for my freedom" BTTT.

[onyx]

Thanks again, dearest Ronnie.