Retired at the beginning of April, '05 and relocated to south central Missouri, specifically, the Rolla area. Purchased a house that is conSIDerably better than what we had in S. Calif. and moved in around the middle of May. Got an in-ground pool outside and a really neat "War Room" in the basement. If anyone is in the area sometime, let me know and you've a place to stay for a bit.
Resisted moving back here for some time but have no regrets. The area is beautiful and the people are really great.
As of April, 06, working again.....so much for retirement. Could only handle being around the wife 24/7 for so long. Besides............we needed the medical bennies.
In Jan. 07, joined the PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS--a group, mainly bikers, but not all, who attend funerals, memorial services and welcome homes ceremonies for veterans. At the funerals their primary purpose is to form a barrier between the family and any protestors who may show up.
YES, protestors DO come to these on occassion.
Other Comments:
As if 31 years of working around small children weren't enough, I was a Scout Master for 18 years, up until I retired. In all honesty, if it hadn't been for all those kids, I would have lost my mind a long time ago. They have been very theraputic for me and helped me keep things in perspective. Finally got my PTSD claim settled by the VA (had to move to Missouri to get though). Fortunately, the kids helped me stay reasonably coherent all those years.
Description This campaign was from 30 January to 1 April 1968. On 29 January 1968 the Allies began the Tet-lunar new year expecting the usual 36-hour peaceful holiday truce. Because of the threat of a large-scale attack and communist buildup around Khe Sanh, the cease fire order was issued in all areas over which the Allies were responsible with the exception of the I CTZ, south of the Demilitarized Zone.
Determined enemy assaults began in the northern and Central provinces before daylight on 30 January and in Saigon and the Mekong Delta regions that night. Some 84,000 VC and North Vietnamese attacked or fired upon 36 of 44 provincial capitals, 5 of 6 autonomous cities, 64 of 242 district capitals and 50 hamlets. In addition, the enemy raided a number of military installations including almost every airfield. The actual fighting lasted three days; however Saigon and Hue were under more intense and sustained attack.
The attack in Saigon began with a sapper assault against the U.S. Embassy. Other assaults were directed against the Presidential Palace, the compound of the Vietnamese Joint General Staff, and nearby Ton San Nhut air base.
At Hue, eight enemy battalions infiltrated the city and fought the three U.S. Marine Corps, three U.S. Army and eleven South Vietnamese battalions defending it. The fight to expel the enemy lasted a month. American and South Vietnamese units lost over 500 killed, while VC and North Vietnamese battle deaths may have been somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000.
Heavy fighting also occurred in two remote regions: around the Special Forces camp at Dak To in the central highlands and around the U.S. Marines Corps base at Khe Sanh. In both areas, the allies defeated attempts to dislodge them. Finally, with the arrival of more U.S. Army troops under the new XXIV Corps headquarters to reinforce the marines in the northern province, Khe Sanh was abandoned.
Tet proved a major military defeat for the communists. It had failed to spawn either an uprising or appreciable support among the South Vietnamese. On the other hand, the U.S. public became discouraged and support for the war was seriously eroded. U.S. strength in South Vietnam totaled more than 500,000 by early 1968. In addition, there were 61,000 other allied troops and 600,000 South Vietnamese.
The Tet Offensive also dealt a visibly severe setback to the pacification program, as a result of the intense fighting needed to root out VC elements that clung to fortified positions inside the towns. For example, in the densely populated delta there had been approximately 14,000 refugees in January; after Tet some 170,000 were homeless. The requirement to assist these persons seriously inhibited national recovery efforts.
