At short notice, Pia and I drove across state to Tampa for the Snowbirds 101st Airborne Division reunion and how glad we were to be able to attend. We were set up next to Richard Bathurst, member of 2/327th Infantry and author of "No Slack". Rich, a native Floridian, introduced us to fellow members of 2/327th Infantry, Richard Walsh and Jesse Myers, Jr., and all three men gave us information on 1SGT Nelson Henry, for whom FSB Henry was named. Many thanks to Eddie Pissott for inviting us.
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On Wednesday, 1 February 2017, at 0800 hours, Robert T. Uderitz invited us to attend the 9th Marine Engineer Battalion's business meeting where Ray gave a 15-20 minute talk on US Marine Corps personnel killed in Vietnam and for whom a facility was named, and which are presented in his book "IN HONOR AND MEMORY". They included Sgt Don M. Perdue, 1st Engineer Battalion, for whom Camp Perdue, Da Nang, was named; LCpl Ronald C. Kissinger, 11th Engineer Battalion, for whom Camp Kissinger at Dong Ha Combat Base was named; LCpl James E. Love, 7th Engineer Battalion, for whom Camp J. E. Love, Da Nang, was named; and 9th Engineer Battalion member Pfc Arlon G. Schaeffer for whom Schaeffer Bridge was named. The bridge was built by members of the unit after Pfc Schaeffer died in September 1968. Construction was completed on 6 January 1969 and the 722 ft long bridge was at the time considered the longest built in the history of the Marine Corps.
Veterans gathered in Vero Beach at the weekend where we saw some familiar faces - Al Walker who served during Operation WHITE STAR and Bill, of Okeechobee, who served with the 25th Infantry Division. We also encountered, for the first time, Jim, the 199th Light Infantry Brigade's Headquarter Company (HHC) clerk, who bought a copy of "CAMP FRENZELL-JONES", and who said he would be happy to share with us any 199th documentation he may have. On Sunday we met Leonard Wood, of Sebring, who served in Vietnam in 1971-1972 with 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. I was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 1968, which was named for US Army General Leonard Wood, Sr., and, so, meeting someone called Leonard Wood was an experience. We shared tables with Bob Walker, author of "Wearing the Badge: A Photographic Tribute to the American Police Officer", and Bob's charming wife, Kathy (see www.walkersbbooks.com for more details).
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Master Sergeant Ray Bows, US Army (ret.) spent twenty years on active duty including overseas assignments in Korea, France, Vietnam, Germany, and Belgium, with TDY to Crete and Italy. Archives
April 2022
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