Caboose

Crossing railroad tracks is always dangerous. The endless stream of black coal cars, red cattle cars and bland box cars was mind-numbing ... Boring! So boring, passenger-car drivers would day-dream or even doze off waiting for the caboose to pass. The last car of a train is always the caboose. Always! This is my "caboose" …

Viet Nam revisited

There were 6-8 guys I'd call Army buddies; didn't know any of them from Adam, but all of our lives crossed paths in Viet Nam.  While still in country, we scheduled a reunion more than two years hence -- in St. Louis, under the arch on July 4th, 1974.  Since the reunion, I maintained contact …

Daddy’s Home!

RE: Veteran's Day.   This image reminds me of my first encounter with my 18 month old son when I returned from Viet Nam.  He was four months old when I got drafted, six months old when I left for Viet Nam and 18 months old when I returned. There were awkward moments at first; …

Smoke ’em If Ya Got ’em

During one of my many travels along Route 1, in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam (1971), I came upon this fellow.  He was a Montagnard tribesman.  Known locally as "mountain people", the Montagnards are a totally distinct ethnic group from the Vietnamese, with their own language, culture, etc.  Their fierce independence has kept them at odds …

City Bus Rides

Remember your first bus ride?  Actually, I only remember my second bus ride.  I was five years old, taking the bus home from morning kindergarten.  Going to school, I rode the bus with my older sister, so it was no big deal, but returning home by myself was a big deal. The bus driver missed …

Good Ole Days

Remember the college student sit-ins?  With all of the protests, riots and violent demonstrations going on around the world lately, this scene in downtown Phoenix, reminded me of college student sit-ins in the turbulent 60's.   As I recall, most of the demonstrations were to protest the Viet Nam war.   Geez, what the heck …