IF YOU'RE GOING...
Redleg Tom Surratt tells
the story of his
brother who found a way to stay
connected to a buddy in Nam
My
brother (James) told me that he met Henry during AIT (Advanced Individual Training,
which follows Basic Training) and they became friends.
Home for them was just 40 miles apart. Since
brother James didn't have a car and Henry did, they rode home from AIT together
in Henry's car.
After AIT, they both had orders to Vietnam; they had to report
the same day and place. Turns out...they went to Vietnam together on the same
plane. When they got to the "Repo Depot" (Replacement Center), Henry told
James, "We've been together this far, so we need to stay together here
in Nam." When they called out my brother's name to get on the bus to go to
his unit, Henry got on too. When they arrived at the unit, they asked Henry,
"What are you doing here? You're assigned to a different unit."
Without
missing a beat, Henry replied, "Heck, I don't know, they just told me to
get on this bus." The unit kept Henry there as TDY, probably to avoid the
paperwork. Thus, two friends were able to stay together for their tour in
Vietnam.
Moral:
The downside of
teaching military obedience is that some soldiers actually listen!
Epilogue:
James & Henry live about a thousand miles from each other, but remain good
friends to this day.
submitted
by
PFC Tom Surratt
Webmaster's
Note: For a similar story, see
"But
General, I'm AWOL" by Don Keith