In a few days I will journey back in time to a place where it’s hotter than hell. Its beautiful landscapes are still filled with jungles, rice paddies and terrain where thousands of Americans once fought. A place called Vietnam.
On this adventure, I will not be sleeping on a rack in a barracks, nor will I be lugging around body armor. I will only be carrying a camera. I am honored to be traveling with some very special Marines who had it far worse than I could ever imagine over 30 years ago.
We will visit the sites of operations and battles these men once served: Saigon, Danang, Hoi An, Hue, Dong Ha, Hanoi and Halong with side trips to Perfume Mountain, Mutter's Ridge, Khe Sanh, the Ben Hai River, Marble Mountain, China Beach, CuChi Tunnel and the Mekong delta before we return.
I will visit a place my brother Jack once ventured through as a Marine himself. Where a family friend lost his life and many other brave warriors fought so proudly. I will be writing about this trip and the history of this war in a future project, but for right now, this trip is very personal to me. I will be an observer as I travel with these brave warriors, capturing their spirit as we travel and maybe learn about what my brother went through not so long ago.
I was very young when my brother, Jack, joined the Marine Corps. I still remember the day when he and his friend Bobby, announced they had enlisted. That look upon my fathers face has stayed with me to this day. At first I thought it was because Jack joined the Corps, when Dad was a career Army officer. As I got older I understood what that look was, he was worried his son would be sent off to war. At the time, I truly didn’t understand the why. I just remember my Mother crying many nights as she made dinner, or my Father always on the phone with someone discussing military affairs. Jack was lucky he came home safely, but reality hit hard when my Father received a call that changed my life for ever. It was a call that his friends son would never be coming home from Vietnam. This was my first experience with losing someone I knew. That's when I realized what war was all about and that could have been my brother Jack. This was an experience I have never forgotten. Nor have I ever forgotten Ray Inslee or his smile and that sparkle in his beautiful eyes. [Sgt Ray Inslee, U.S. Army, was killed in the Binh Dinh Province of Vietnam on March 29th, 1970.] I will not have the opportunity to visit the place we lost Ray, but I know in my heart he will be with me in spirit as I tour the rest of the country. The one place on this trip which will mean the most to me is that of Khe Sanh. This was the place I could have lost my brother during the Tet Offensive. This, out of all others, because it had a direct impact on who I am today.
My quest is simple, to learn about who my brother is and where he served. I am hoping that my work with our veteran’s community over the years, coupled with my recent trip to Iraq, will give me a small privilege of getting to know my brother in a very special way. I missed getting to know him while serving with the 1/9 in Vietnam, the infamous “Walking Dead”.
It has been an honor to be around the military and its veterans my entire life. The experiences in which this has afforded me has been immeasurable to any other experience in life. It has also given me a great deal of knowledge in which to write from in recent years and to defend in Washington, DC. All these experiences, especially recently, brings a whole new light to my writings, a first hand experience which I never imagined I would ever have in this lifetime. The timing for this trip could not have been better. To be able to return to a place which I have been researching my entire life is beyond words for me. I pray God will afford me the clarity of these new understandings of what our brave warriors endure to allow me to capture their spirit through my words as I write.
I’m not sure about connectivity in Vietnam because I plan to journal my adventures for all to read once I am able to get to the internet. I have a wonderful photographer coming with me on this trip, Chuck Westbrook, who will be helping me, once again, capture the essence of those who served. I plan to post some of those pictures along the way. Stay tuned!
A Special Message: RP, thank you so much for all your support. Without you this journey would have only been a dream that never came to reality. Thank you
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