25 May 2009

Ft Bragg, NC 1966

Smoke Bomb Hill, Ft Bragg, NC 1966

My father's A Team just before deployment to 5th Group in Vietnam. A story in every man. An odd A Team in that there were 13 men and not the usual 12. Two NCO's and a Lieutenant did not come back.

I remember a party at our quarters on post just before they left. Everyone of these men were crammed into our tiny living room. Wearing starched fatigues, drinking beer and smoking Marlboro's--I wandered among the spit shined Corcoran jump boots while the theme from, "The Magnificent Seven" boomed over a stereo. I looked at our dining room table and saw a pile of forest green berets with the red 7th Group flash sewn on the front. Some worn and some brand new. I'll never forget the smoke and laughter in that living room. Or that I was around something that was very real and they were going somewhere very dangerous. I'll never forget.

Many years later my mother recalled the same party. Late that night a young sergeant cornered her on the stairs to the only bathroom in the house. "Uh oh," she thought. "Here we go..." He leaned into her and said, "Don't worry about your husband, ma'am. Nothing's gonna happen to him. We're gonna make sure." And with that he turned around and walked away and was true to his word.

15 comments:

M.Lane said...

Another classic post that you should put up every year. Thanks for sharing it and for making us all really appreciate this day.

Happy Memorial Day to you and to your father. I hope you are in Delaware, Dark & Stormy in hand...

ML

EsseQuamVideri said...

My eyes swelled in your last paragraph.

~Tessa~Scoffs said...

your coolest post ever.

The Sardonicist said...

a heartfelt thanks to you and your father for your service, and to your mother for enduring the toughest job in the military; the military wife/mother.

The Blushing Hostess said...

I thank each of them and you today, however temporary the service. I am constantly humbled all of you have done this for us.

ADG said...

Thanks to you and your dad for your service Tintin.

ADG

Anonymous said...

U R A BUTT SMELLING FARTER!

Anonymous said...

hey butt smeller when R U you going to let me guest post/?

tintin said...

ML- Hope you had a great weekend. More driving than Dark and Stormies but a good time was had by all.

Esse Quam- Thank you and stay the bbq fight with ADG- N.C. BBQ rules.

Tessa- Thanks. I wonder how Ft Monroe is getting along?

skorpeo- Amen to that. Army wives are always overlooked except for that crappy TV show.

Blushing Hostess- and yours as well.

ADG- Thanks. Hope yours was a good weekend.

Anon 17:19- It warms my heart to know that three generations of my family served so you could have the freedom to call me, butt smeller.

Anon 17:28- Email me if you have anything non-anal to say.

The Sardonicist said...

in answer to your question to tessa, ft. monroe is slated for closure in 2011...i think. the developers are already licking their chops. tessa is my sister, and we both have very fond memories of growing up on ft. monroe. much like the veterans who are overlooked, ft. monroe deserves a much more dignified retirement than to be hacked up into a strip mall.

tintin said...

Monroe was my favorite assignment. There was a great officers club on the beach, a fantastic library with all the back issues of Yank Magazine and an indoor rifle range where I breathed in large amounts of cordite and sulpher and got a few goofy NRA medals. I was 14 and 15 when I lived in Hampton. I was crazy about the place and was mighty PO'ed when we were transferred to Colorado Springs...I still am mighty PO'ed about that transfer.

Anonymous said...

Tintin,
Hope you let "Mr. Butt Smeller" do a guest post, non-anal related as you requested. By the way, I like that crappy, sappy show on the channel for pmsing and menopausing women! It is totally inaccurate, esp. about a particular unit, family housing, the wardrobe a typical army wife can afford, but utterly endearing. In a sappy crappy way. D

Anonymous said...

Hope you let "Mr. Butt Smeller" do a guest post, non-anal related as you requestedanon 1631, I don't think Mr. Butt Smeller will have much to say beyond that!

Tintin,
For a traditional clothing blog you certainly get some interesting visitors!

Anonymous said...

Amazing how "un-pumped" everyone looks in that photo. English, almost. Actually, very English. It's no accident that Hollywood now casts Englishmen and Aussies - nearly exclusively - in masculine AMERICAN male roles. That's because the market researched default mode for most male leads is the boyish Brad Pitt model. I read that Hollywood actually didn't know how to cast George Clooney because he fit the older, outdated masculine ideal!

BTW, I love the last paragraph of your blog.

-DB

EsseQuamVideri said...

Thanks for your comment! I just recently found your blog, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.