Have you ever tried to reconnect with buddies from your past, past tours of duty? Were you successful? How?

2019-03-18T15:04:00-04:00

I have written many blog postings about my tour of duty in Vietnam and compiled them into a journal that I make available for free on Smashwords. Basically, I have included almost everything I remember of that time and still I get requests for more. A recent request from a young woman whose father, Sgt Levi Carl Warner Jr from corpus Christi Texas, now deceased, who served there during the same time as I ('67 to '68) asking for anything I could tell her to help her write a book about him. She says that he served with Charlie Company, 9th Infantry Division. Obviously, she doesn't know that she's missing some unit identification there. I have responded to her message to let her know that I'm reaching out, here on RP and other social media groups targeting Vietnam Veterans. Even if you don't know this person, there are many who would appreciate suggestions about connecting with buddies from prior tours of duty. I would like to tell her, and others on similar missions, how to research their old units or the units in which loved ones served. How to reconnect with old buddies or rediscover their past, or the past of loved ones. Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted and passed on...

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Mar 18 at 2019 3:07 PM

2019-03-18T15:07:51-04:00

One of my battle buddies is a member of Rally Point.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Mar 18 at 2019 3:27 PM

2019-03-18T15:27:02-04:00

CPT Jack Durish I am still in touch with a fellow from BCT at San Luis Obispo and the 101st Signal BN in Korea - 1954, he lives in Glendora, CA. Truth be told, the 55 mile drive and return is at bit daunting at my age. His wife says he does not drive very well.

I am really OK w/ driving. There are no dents in my car and I always demonstrate my capability when a son is visiting!’

As the ‘toast’ goes: “Heres to us and them like us, and most of them are dead” !

Response by LCpl Shane Couch made Mar 18 at 2019 3:27 PM

2019-03-18T15:27:18-04:00

Through the wonders of Facebook.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Mar 18 at 2019 3:31 PM

2019-03-18T15:31:41-04:00

CPT Jack Durish I'd like to learn more about how you used Smashwords? Can you provide a link or a private message on you use it? I've stayed connected with First Active Commander from Belgium from 1977 to 1980 in Belgium. I've had no contact with anyone from my days at Fort Ord, CA (first duty station of my military career from Nov 1975 to June 1977 or BCT.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Mar 18 at 2019 3:41 PM

2019-03-18T15:41:20-04:00

Be prepared for bad news, several I chased down were by way of the obituaries. A few corresponded by email about old times, then stopped after a while.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 4:20 PM

2019-03-18T16:20:08-04:00

There was something I'd always wondered, whether the staff at NPRC in St. Louis might ever be able to help with stuff like that...clearly, they couldn't just give you info where somebody you knew when you were in might be, for obvious privacy reasons...however, the thought obviously crossed my mind that, perhaps, they might be able to at least just forward a letter, if they might have an address on file...as would be apparent, there might not be any provision for asking for such help, and, also, I myself have never asked for any such help, it was merely something I'd wondered about occasionally, that was all, honest...probably, they'd have to say it's not what they're there for, of course, however, I just figured I'd offer the thought, at any rate, if only for all of you to at least just mull over, if nothing else, you know? Probably the answer would most likely be no, I'd expect, as I'd said...just a notion on my part, at any rate...they'd obviously have to find material on a friend, to be able to look up if there was a good address to use to forward such a letter, which, of course, might well not even be permissible, to begin with...then, too, there might be other vet groups one could ask to see if they'd have a given friend on file to forward a letter, though I have no idea if such a thing would even be feasible and/or allowable, once again, of course....

Response by PVT Mark Zehner made Mar 18 at 2019 5:03 PM

2019-03-18T17:03:24-04:00

I talk to a lot of them through Facebook

Response by SGT James Murphy made Mar 18 at 2019 5:21 PM

2019-03-18T17:21:23-04:00

I did reach out when I first separated and was blocked at a lot of turns due to being assigned to ASA. I even made a couple overseas calls on my dime only to talk to the CO's of Companies I Knew Buddies were at and told them I didn't want to lose touch ... I stupidly assumed I could always contact them. Never thought about it being a freaking National Security Issue but apparently...................... I was able to contact a few through the ASA Lives Website Data Base but you gotta clear it with VERN First! 8-)

Response by SSG Donald H "Don" Bates made Mar 18 at 2019 5:22 PM

2019-03-18T17:22:59-04:00

Any tips would be helpful, trying to go back to Korea 1953-1955, guess there are not many of us old guys left.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 18 at 2019 8:21 PM

2019-03-18T20:21:51-04:00

Start by looking up people you knew who had unusual names.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 18 at 2019 9:33 PM

2019-03-18T21:33:47-04:00

I've been looking for years for old Army buddies, but only found one that had pasted away two years before I located him in the obituary. I tried to contact his daughter that I had a picture of in 1974, in which she would be 45yrs old now, but had no luck to contact her, I wanted to tell her about her father with the 82nd ABN, and how he was a good soldier.

Have been and still trying to locate my best buddy from basic, jump school and with the the 82 ABN, and still had no luck, we last saw each other in 1972, A-co 2nd 508th Inf 82nd ABN.
His name is, Benny P. Baxley from Alabama.

Response by LTC Gary Earls made Mar 18 at 2019 9:41 PM

2019-03-18T21:41:20-04:00

See if there is a 9th Division association and put they can out a request for the friends of her father. It would help if she knew the battalion that her father served with. Also check the website: http://www.togetherweserved.com

Join Me on Together We Served!

Together We Served has reconnected more U.S. Military Veterans than any other organization. If you served, this website is for you

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2019 11:26 AM

2019-04-13T11:26:17-04:00

Still in contact with all of them:
1956 Baumholder Germany
1960 Charleston AFB SC I married her
1964 Paris France
1968 Saigon & Quinhon Vietnam
1970 Kitzingen Germany
1972 Saigon Vietnam
1974 & 76 Ft Stewart GA
1977 Schofild Bks Hawaii

The secret is you owe money

Response by Cpl Mark Gray made May 3 at 2019 5:50 PM

2019-05-03T17:50:01-04:00

I've been looking for a 'Buddy' from the 1960's and have had no luck. I tried the local recruiter and he told me try Ipac at Camp lejeune, still no luick.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 9 at 2019 9:48 PM

2019-06-09T21:48:19-04:00

I have kept in contact with a few close friends, but we being of a certain age, there are not that many left. I contacted a couple through the 1st Cav assn and some through the DAV. Sadly many had gone to the Big Barracks in the sky.