In 2002 at age 61 after 22 years living alone and dealing with my demons, I met and later married a beautiful Thai woman, quit self medicating and settled in for the duration in Northern Thailand. Due to language differences I spend most of my time alone tinkering with one of my motorcycles and hiking with my German Shepherd, Bruno. A comfortable life waiting for the next big adventure...............Update June 4, 2015 my best friend Bruno died in my arms today as the result of advanced hip displacia. For eight years we were together every day. I am very sad.
Other Comments:
The Vietnam War changed my life. I went there seeking adventure without thought of the burden I would carry for the rest of my life. UPDATE: I have just returned from Vietnam. On 25 Nov 2009 I was on Hills 37 & 65, my home when in the rear. Then on to Arizona territory, Phulong 1 & 2, the site of the Battle at the Graveyard exactly 42 years to the hour. The war is over for me now; I have come to realize it exists only in my mind .....See FORUM/Stories of Combat/Baptism of fire.
Description Operation Apache Snow (May 10 – June 7, 1969) was a joint U.S. and South Vietnamese military operation during the Vietnam War in the A Shau Valley. The A Shau Valley was an important corridor for the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), moving supplies into South Vietnam and used as staging area for attacks. Previous sweeps of the valley in Operation Delaware and Operation Dewey Canyon had not been able to keep the NVA from operating in the valley.
Apache Snow was planned as an operation involving ten battalions. The initial assault force consisted of troops from the 187th, 501st, and 506th Infantry Regiments of the 101st Airborne Division and the 1st ARVN Division. The plan was to block escape routes into Laos and assault enemy formations and strongholds. The operation began on May 10, 1969.
The main objective became Hill 937, the resulting battle became known to the soldiers as "Hamburger Hill", an up to date reference to the bloody fighting during the Korean War at a place called "Porkchop Hill". After ten days of fighting, which involved 11 infantry assaults up hill 937 primarily by the 3rd battalion, 187th infantry, (causing heavy U.S. losses), US forces managed to capture the hill. A few weeks later the hill was quietly abandoned by U.S. forces.
Operation Apache Snow continued until June 7, with U.S. troops making limilted contact with the enemy. It failed to deny access to the valley to North Vietnamese forces. The valley continued to be used as staging area for attacks in northern South Vietnam. The month‑long operation accounted for 675 enemy killed, three prisoners, 241 individual and 40 crew‑served weapons captured, and more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition discovered.