Goodbye, Viet Nam

[QM3steve]

Welcome home Terry,
Longmeadow's just a hop skip and a jump from Albany. (Revwardoc) is out there in Mass. Curtis (Seatjerker) is in Latham, a little NE of Albany. Connect with him for the trip to Ga. I may brave the trip next spring. I'm just over an hour west of Albany. I was too young for VN but appreciate the camaraderie here.

[MORTARDUDE]

Welcome Aboard !!

All the best,

Larry

[user459]

I found another poem I wrote while at the VA Hospital in Leeds, MA, for an evaluation for PTSD:

Sticker Shock





Feelings out of nowhere,


A tightness in my gut,


Feelings that I'm worthless,


I'm not what I'd have thought.


>>


A heightened sense of danger,


Real, but undefined,


Sensing eyes upon me,


Or is it just my mind?


>>


What brought this on,


This mental state?


Is it something I saw?


Was it something I ate?


>>


I search my mind,


For recent events,


That triggered this,


That made me tense.


>>


Now I remember,


While driving through town,


I saw a truck,


I think it was brown.


>>


What caught my eye,


As it went past,


Was a simple sticker


On the window glass.


>>


It was black and white,


And said "POW/MIA,


You are not forgotten."


Then it drove away.


>>


It left me in tears,


My eyes started to burn,


Like a mindless robot,


I took the next turn.


>>


I evaded it this time,


But when would I see,


The next reminder,


Of what troubles me?


>>


Terry Rushbrook Ward 8, 2/18/05

[Gimpy]

Originally Posted by user459

To answer a few of the questions you asked:

I was in Cam Rahn Bay with the 41st Signal Battalion; in Qui Hhon on Vung Chua Mountain with the 362nd Signal Company; and in Dalat at Krause Compound with the 362nd.

I now live in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

Psycho Mtn sounds interesting, but a long way from Mass. I spent 13 months at Ft Gordon, GA, in TTY school and OCS.

I read your poem and it was a great one. Thanks. I will investigate that site further and post mine.

Thanks for all the positive comments. I feel like family already.

Terry

Terry,

Welcome aboard. Your poem brought on some "sandstorms" that caused some watery eyes for sure. I wish I could write like that.

When were you at Ft. Gordon?

I saw where you were in Nam during 68 and 69?

If you ever made over to the old Ft. Gordon Hospital in late 67 or 68 before you shipped out, we may have crossed paths.

I was hospitalized there for 18 months from Dec. 67 thru May 69 after I had a little "run in" with a bunch of little short fellers named Charlie in early November 67. Pretty much saw everything on that base (Ft Gordon) as my condition improved. Be 41 years come this Wednesday, Nov. 5 .....that'll be my "anniversary" of that eventfull evening.

Anyways............, being a "charter member" of the PsycoVets Gang that congregates semi-annually on Psyco Mountain (I can't make it this year because of some doctors appointments) I'd like to extend a hearty invitation to Johns' and Sids' mountain "retreat" this coming spring for the other little "get together" we have up there.

I'm sure John & Sid won't mind one more of our "brethern" on the mountain top next spring! They should be posting info on the days and weekend that little "party" will be taking place pretty soon.

Look forward to seeing you there next spring.

And,................welcome home,

Gimp

[user459]

Gimp.

Those poems caused a few tears on this side, too.

I was at Fort Gordon in 1966 to 1967. I went to Teletype Repair school as an enlisted man and then to Signal Corps OCS and was commissioned oin May 1967. I got orders for Germany and spent 13 months with the 3rd Armored Division, 43 Signal Batttalion, until I got orders for Viet Nam. I never had to go to the hospital there; sorry you had to.

Terry