“War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!”
-- “War” sung by Edwin Starr, 1970
It was called, “The Summer of Love.” That’s how it was portrayed in San Francisco during the mid-year months of 1967, Many young people were in that beautiful city to express their love for each other. Some of us, however, were there for another reason. Instead of flowers in our hair, we wore military uniforms. We were on our way to a war in a place called Vietnam.
Yes, we were members of America’s Armed Forces spending a day among hippies with their peace paraphernalia before flying overseas. Most of us did not know each other. Unlike previous wars we were not traveling as part of a cohesive military unit like a company or battalion.
When I arrived in Vietnam, I was assigned to serve at the United States Army, Vietnam (USARV) Headquarters in Long Binh. Walking into my barracks, which we called a “hootch”, the first person to greet me was Charles “Chas” Simone from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the first Italian-American I had ever met. After a few days we became best buddies forever. That’s the way it was in Vietnam. Friendships were made on the spur of the moment, and solidified through similar experiences over the span of a year in a war zone.
A short while later I met James “Ark” Sanders from Little Rock, Arkansas, “Ol” Joe Taylor who owned a farm in Paris, Tennessee, and Terry “Baldy” Baldwin, a native of Seaford, Delaware. We formed a relationship which became a strong bond that saw us through the typhoon season of 1967, the 1968 Tet Offensive, and subsequent May Offensive.
Once we came home from Vietnam we decided to keep in touch with each other. Before long we were in college, getting married, having kids, and everything else that comes with civilian life. Five years after our return we had our first reunion at “Ol” Joe’s farm by the Tennessee River. It was truly a wonderful, glorious summer celebration.
Since that time, we have had a lot of fun during 18 reunions in various locales around the U.S. Some of these include Las Vegas, Nevada; San Diego, California; Key West, Florida; Wildwood, New Jersey; and New Orleans, Louisiana.
In addition, we traveled to historical sites such as Valley Forge, and the battlefields at Gettysburg and New Orleans.
Some of us left mementos from the war at the Vietnam Wall, While visiting Washington, D.C., on a recent Memorial Day, we had the honor of seeing President Barack Obama place a wreath at the Tomb of the unknown Soldier.
In 2007, four of us returned to Vietnam on a real “tour” of the country. We timed it for Veterans Day 2007, because it signified forty years since we had first been in-country. We traveled from Hanoi in the north, to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south. Needless to say, the trip brought back many repressed memories, but it was cathartic, as well.
This year we are meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, for Veterans Day. We will stay in a beach rental. Our plans include taking part in various activities which will acknowledge the contributions of veterans to the defense of our nation. This will include a boat ride to Fort Sumter to see where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.
It will be a special time for us. It was 55 years ago that we first met, but when we get together it is like those years do not exist. We will laugh and kid each other while we imbibe our favorite beverage. Of course, we will tell tall tales about our exploits. As some old-timers might say, “The older we get, the better we were.” For a short while it will seem that we are young again. Just like we were in Vietnam.
In the end, contrary to what the song said, war was good for one thing. It brought my buddies and I together to that we became brothers in arms, brothers for life.
Luciano S. Martinez
Luciano “Luce” Martinez, Murray, is a retired Utah educator who served in the U.S. Army (1966-1969), He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), and the American Legion.
