talking to "Paco"
 

A few years ago, on The History Channel's forum, I wrote about the first time I met the Veteran whom I nicknamed "Paco" was about 32 years ago, right after the Army and Vietnam. We were both trainees in a "Demand Occupational Training" program.

"Paco" (in Spanish it's pronounced Paw-Co ... "Paco" is pure Latino and I am only half). His hair was long and he drove a 60s Camaro and a "hog" ... played the drums. I attended his second wedding (pure Chicano style wedding ... the vatos in top hats and tails, that kind of stuff).

My how the years have gone by so fast ... I called "Paco" today (Paw-Co for which there is no English equivalent) and we had a great phone communion ... some good gut laughs. He's no longer married, but still rides a "hog" and has a few cars ... done real good, considering the "trainee program" start ... He'll probably retire in a few years. (he stayed there working in the 'burbs' ... I went to college and finished ... payed a price for that ... I went to work in the big city but live in the burbs. I recently cut my long"ish" hair and took out the ear stud ... He says his hair is thinning on the top "going bald" but wears a pony tail ... He ain't changed much either, I bet.)

He said I sound the same ... probably the same sense of humor and voice, is what he meant.... easily shift from "normal/proper" tone, to barrio poject dude.

"Paco" said that he has looked into the Net and seen something on his old unit ... stated that he wants to see if he can find some of his old friends but doesn't have a PC ... I suggested he do that, that I myself was contacted by an old Soldier boatie. In fact, I said to ... "on a Veterans forum I wrote the story about "Packo vs Paco" and this dude ended up changing the spelling of his usser name from "Packo" to "Paco" ... quite a coincidence ...

Paco sounded perturbed by that ...

I found out that "Paco" was with the 52nd Infantry but attached to the 1st Aviation Brigade ... went into Cambodia. I told "Paco" that it wasn't until the Net that I found out why us Army boaties were hauling hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of tons of ammo up to the DMZ AO was called and what it was about ... we agreed "thats the Army for you."

"Paco" took down my work number, and I his home number ... "in case you call and I'm retired " ("Paco"). Maybe we'll never see one another ... thats ok though, today we laughed and talked alot ... he said so long, actually, he said later "brother be" ...

Beau

Beau I'm glad you got reconnected with a old buddy. everytime i see someone that I served with its a real treat. keep lookin friend I know you will find more friends out there the internet makes it a very small world.

Wow, how ironic that he would have the same name as mine. Glad you got back in touch with him. Hope ya'll don't wait as long this time. It makes me think about getting in touch with my long lost southern brother, "Beau". It's pronounce like "Bow"and arrow. It's a very Southern white guy name. Thanks for reminding me how important it is to keep in touch with old friends. I will do that.

Packo

Hmmm...
Paco has a friend named "Beau"
Beau has a friend named "Paco"

Huh, I love irony! :D

DL

DL my wife won't do the iorning can I send it to you if you love it so much?

That's what they make wrinkle free shirts for! :D
Although you might try the wrinkle setting on your dryer.
Look in my closet and it is obvious I don't "iorn" nuffin. :p

DL

lottsa irony following my "Paco vs Packo" post on The History Channel board ... it don't work.

too many decades ...
 

I've been thinking of seeing "Paco" but then again it's been to many decades and it really was a brief, and narrow period of time when we were both "trainees" at the Lawrance Livermore Lab ... It was I that gave him the nickname "Paco:" his real name is Albert, or Al, or Alberto ... pure Chicano dude. Paco gave me the nickname "Tito" which in Spanish means "little brother" ... being Chicano-Filipino and not fluent in either, I only found out last week what "Tito" meant ... by reading a biography on Caesar Chavez "Fight in the Fields" ... Tito does not ryhme with anyone's nickame here, so I suppose it's ok to mention it.

Dumb idea to think about seeing someone you have not seen in decades ... what territory can you cover ? Well, he was Infantry and crossed into Cambode with the 1st Aviation Brigade, or whatever it was ... I was Army boatie up in I Corps ... maybe just sending Paco a sketch that I have made of that time would keep the very tiny, long ago post Army time, link alive.

Oakland ...

http://www.museumca.org/exhibit/exhi..._going_on.html

Ah ... I'll send him the boatie sketch and just forget it ... but it sure was nice when he said over the phone "later brother be."

Man ... something like 33 years ago it was just a few of us hommies (poor white, Filipino, black, Latino ... or just outta the Army types) that were part of a "Demand Occuapational Training" program ... assembling during breaks and lunch times to carry on with these marathon Ping Pong games ... little Filipino guy named Demy Saruno running around hittin that ping pong and giggling his little monkey ass off ... Demy left the program and we both ended up at another workplace doing the same kinda stuff ... thought I was part time and commuting to college.

Bob White (black dude) with his Mob Squad Afro ... cool as a cucumber ... some Japanese dude who, like me, became disappointed with the program (as I did) and after he left and finished a real college and Masters program in Business ... wrote The Lab and I guess told him that it was a farce .... it was, they gave us these certificates and formal recommendations to prospective employers and the recommendations stated that we had various "phases of OJT and Classroom training" ... "phase one...." "phase two ... classroom training on converting fractions to metrics ..." .... there was no "phases" or "classroom" ... just some supervisor that gave us projects.

And there was David Rodriguez whom I think "saw the light" of that program, for I recall him talking about joining the Air Force. In fact, when I called Paco ... he heard my voice and said "let me guess ... David ?" Al (Paco) had asked David (another pure Chicano ... from Tracy, CA) to be part of his wedding group ... whole bunch of Chicanos dressed up in Top Hats and Tuxes ... typical style.

There was a tall skinny cowboy type of white guy ... wonder what happened to him ?

I'll send Paco a sketch but thats it ... see what happens ... too many decades have gone by. Hell, I know that Al had a biker friend who was part of the same program and who stayed on at the same place of employment ... for years that rode together ... worked at the same place. I asked Paco "where is ... that Trevino guy" ... Paco said "he still works here ... we never see eachother (no more riding) ... I don't know what happened"

Demy Saruno ... run around that Ping Pong table ... fast as a monkey ... and slam that Ping Pong and giggle and laugh his little ass off.

Paco sitting at his wiring bench ... playing with some tools or pencils like he was beating a drum beat: he was a drummer.

Beau
 

Nice to see you posting.
You were talking about hair in your first and last post. You know we had a gathering in Georgia at the end of April. I haven't cut my hair since then. With the heat and humidity, yes we have some of that up north, I have an afro. It's no big deal but with my tan this year people at the mall have spoken to me in Spanish. Of course I reply in Polish and get some weird looks.

Glad you made contact.

You stay healthy,
Andy

Good to have you back Beau !

Larry