[Tamaroa]

my must see list for sometime in my life. Not just because of its civil War significance but also because of the POW museum. I'd like to see it some day because of an incident that happened to me at work.

Back around 1981, 10 years after I was discharged, I was a watch engineer in New York City. I was monitoring the console for the steam turbines and the phone rang. With my customary aplomb, I yelled into the phone "ENGINE ROOM" Its not quiet in those places you know. Well on the other end was one of the guy's wives. She said "Tell Rich, he is still normal according to the army. OK, I said and hung up. Rich came back from lunch and I deliberately gave him a weird look. "What's up", he says. "Your wife says to tell you the army says your still normal". He saw the look on my face and tell's me a horrific story. He was an army sergeant in VN. His unit was over run. He was one of just a few survivors.and he was captured and held prisoner for 2 and a half years.

Operating engineers are a playful lot, we always had good times together, he never once mentioned what happened to him. Had I not taken that call, I may have never known. He was a very generous person. Not long afterwards, there was a dedication to a Viet Nam memorial downtown. He wanted me to come. I politely declined teling him that it was his day. I had not served there. He said nonsense your a Vet so come. I did! I'd like to go to the museum and try to gain a greater appreciation of what my friend went through. As I understand it there were very few army enlisteds as POW's. He was one of them and in spite of what he went through (annual physicals with the army were required) he was a pretty normal guy.

Bill