A while ago you will recall that we had located Dennis Wert, another 84G20 who had served with us in the 225th. Well finding Dennis seems to have opened up the floodgates a little bit because four more men have turned up in the past few weeks! On March 6th Gary Chambers, another Photo Lab Tech signed in on the OV-1.com Guestbook (www.ov-1.com/roster). I put his email address on my alert list and emailed him. Then on March 19 Mike (Luke) Christ signed in on the Guestbook, so I immediately put him on my alert list for this blog and emailed him also. Luke was a 05C Radio Teletype Operator (Luke let me know if this is not correct). We’ve talked on the phone and it’s been fun hearing each other’s stories! Luke sent me Gary’s phone number and I’ve talked with him too. Then, Chuck Galloway let me Dennis know that he had found Rolin Randall who was also an 84G Photo Lab Tech. Rolin lives in Alaska, where he’s been since returning from the war.
Well, that’s three more guys with whom we’ve reconnected! “Who is the fourth” you ask?
Here’s where our connections are becoming more and more important…about a month ago Terry Carlson sent me a copy of the 223rd Aviation Battalion (Combat) 1969 Yearbook. I saw the photo of Garry Ryals and remembered that he lived not all that far from me in Western Washington State. So I looked him up on Facebook and found a Garry Ryals who was about our age and sent him a message asking if he had served in Vietnam in the 225th. Before long I received an answer: “Yes Gordy I am the same Garry Ryals that was stationed with you in Nam. And the one that you gave a ride to when I came home on leave that time.” I’m hoping to talk with him soon.
I’d encourage you to look for our buddies and connect with them, before we don’t have the energy to do so. Serving together in the 225th Surveillance Airplane Company was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and to share our memories with each other 40+ years later has been a good experience for us.
I would also encourage you to consider coming to Dayton, Ohio, in September for the 21st Annual OV-1 Mohawk Association Reunion. It is shaping up to be a very good time, and we will have the opportunity to visit the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB. Check out the Association website for more information.
Gary, Luke, Rolin and Garry: It is so good to hook up with you guys again !
No comments:
Post a Comment