There are all kinds of reunions: high school, family, college, etc. Then there are those reunions that aren’t organized just for celebrations,
but more importantly for remembrance, honoring fallen comrades, and healing. The biennium gathering of Vietnam Veterans who served
in Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry was one of these. This year it was held in Colorado Springs, CO, and we were invited
to be part of the three day events. On Friday we visited Ft. Carson where the group was graciously granted access to several special
base training sections including the simulation area where troops were able to practice their shooting skills. Another simulation
building housed four look-alike Humvee Vehicles with machine guns, and other high tech equipment. Soldiers practice their driving
skills and teamwork prior to deployment (or re-deployment) to assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. These maneuvers proved far more
challenging than any of us ever imagined. It made us realize how incredibly intelligent and efficient our current troops are when
being trained for combat. Our young military guides were so enthusiastic about their mission, their work and their willingness to
serve their country. Each had been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan at least once. Many had experienced three deployments with a fourth
coming soon. I couldn’t help envisioning the huge sacrifice they were making, as well as the commitment from spouses, children, and
parents.
The reunion ended with a banquet on Saturday evening which was far from any I had ever experienced. Before dinner was
served, the names of almost one hundred fallen and missing comrades were read by various members of the Regiment. Then, all eyes focused
on a round, empty table that sat on the stage with a vase tied with a red ribbon holding a single red rose. A dress military hat sat
next to the vase which made the entire scene a poignant reminder of those who would never attend any of these reunions. Since many
of our customs and stories are mirrored through metaphors and symbols, I thought you might find the following explanation of the empty
table meaningful.
The table is round - to show everlasting concern for our missing men.
The tablecloth is white - symbolizing the purity of their motives
when answering the call to duty.
The single red rose - reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and the love ones and friends
of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers.
The vase is tied with a red ribbon - symbol of our continued determination
to account for our missing.
A slice of lemon on the bread plate - is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing
in a foreign land.
A pinch of salt - symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.
The Bible -
represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God.
The glass is
inverted - to symbolize their inability to share the evening’s toast.
The chair is empty - they are missing.
Sometime, perhaps 20 or 30 years from now, the warriors of today will be the old soldiers of tomorrow. Perhaps they will gather to remember, to heal, and to honor those who die in today’s war zones. And likely they too will honor a single empty, round table with an inverted glass and a red rose.
Reunion Memories from Dave Gehr:
120 grunts showed up! Pete McNaughton did a fantastic job! Took our time coming home!
Stopped the first night in north Platte, Nebraska (337 miles). Met up with the Powleys, Nett's
And even visited with some of the Fogarty's who were staying in the same hotel. Revisited the
very nice Veterans Memorial and hit the road early Monday morning. Took a break in council
Bluffs, Iowa and visited another memorial known as a casino. Stayed a few hours and earned
A fantastic jimmy buffet for gambling for 30 minutes, which is never a problem for Beckie, and
I even hit on a very big jackpot. Drove eastward and stayed for the night. Another 402 miles
Closer to home! Left Tuesday morning and stopped at a shopping mall then onward to the east.
Pulled in the driveway at 6:00 p.m. after the final 439 miles! Total trip miles driven by me were
2,458, miles driven by Beckie 0, but she helped with her various hand signals and continually
Insinuating where I should go........ A wonderful trip and sorry to see it end! Next reunion in
Washington, D.C., start making your plans. Will see you and hopefully many more there!
Guys, I walked into the hotel lobby in Colorado Springs Tuesday around 4:30 PM. Already, there were 8-9 guys there, and all but oneof them was from my platoon in Vietnam. I've never missed a national reunion, so I've seen them all before. But seeing them again
is just as great. As it turned out there were over 20 of us there that evening and we all went to dinner together. That's always a
fun time. Those of us who come early, for that Tuesday evening, always say, "I can't wait for the reunion to start tomorrow so we
can have some fun, HA!" And we say it with a laugh, because we are already having so much fun it's hard to describe.
People arrived
each of the following days until we had 230 people for our banquet night dinner and program. Some of those were our current soldiers
from Ft Carson and their dates/wives. I believe the total count of our guys attending was 120, and most bring their wives/friends.
There
were 16 guys from my time in Vietnam, my exact platoon, and another 17 guys that I knew well from my company in Vietnam 66-67. So
that's a really great reunion for me. But I've made so many good friends with the guys who came later because I've attended all the
national reunions that most all of them are my good friends.
We had some new attendees this year as we always do. We call them
first timers, it's their first reunion. They are always special. If you ever get a chance to watch a first time meeting of two guys
who were close in Vietnam but have never seen each other since then, well, it's just really one of those special times.
Although
I'd seen both Picket and Alec White before, this was the first time they'd seen each other since Vietnam. Both of them were in the
command group carrying the company radio and battalion radio for the captain. They spent a lot of time together. Anyway, I got
to be there when they first met. In fact I walked in front of Picket so Alec wouldn't see him until I stepped out of the way. Alec
got right up and gave Picket a hug, one of those "Oh, so special times."
To me, it really doesn't matter where the reunion is
next time as long as we continue moving it around the country to give everyone a chance to attend without having the huge travel expense.
Some of our guys just can't afford that. But we hope to see them when we are in their area.
By the way, our next reunion is in
Washington DC. It's our second time there, we were there in 1997, and I'm already trying to put together something very special for
that reunion. If I'm able to do it, and I think I will be, I'll get together with our current command group to make it happen.
This
year we had a very special gift for everyone who attended. David DeMauro gave a CD to each of us. It's a remembrance of our service
in Vietnam and of those we lost there. It's called APO 96385, the APO at Tay Ninh where David and the 68-69 guys were basecamped.
But the remembrance is for all the years C3/22 served, and has the pictures of all our KIAs on it, except 1 or 2 that didn't get to
David in time.
You know, we all went through a lot together in Nam. And this is why it's so special to see you guys again. But
I have a goal in my life, and that is to see everyone I knew in Vietnam again before I die. You can all help me accomplish that by
coming to DC in two years. Like I said, I'm planning a surprise for DC, something very special. You won't want to miss out on getting
it.
BilI Schwindt