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Modern-Day_Mike_Medley.JPGModern Day Mike & spouseFast-forward to August, 2014, just a "few" years later. Mike Medley and wife of 47 years, Karen Medley. Mike is proud of his "Ole Miss" cap, home of his law degree.
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Best_Buddies_-_Modern_Day.JPGBest Buddies - a few years laterWell, more than a few. Clint "McClintock" Curry (left, deceased 4/18) and Mike Medley at their reunion, March 2011.
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Medley_Departs.JPGWhy Is This Man Smiling? Because he is going home!Because it's April 10, 1970 and I'm getting out of Dodge. Had another white tee shirt in my AWOL bag that had been in storage at Enari and they gave us new boots and jungle fatigues. Getting ready to board a bus to the Pleiku Airbase and hop on the big Air Force jet with 71 other guys to accompany the colors of the 3rd BDE to Ft. Lewis, Washington. We were all E-5 and above or O1 or O2s. No one knew how or why we were selected, but in trying to puzzle it out we decided that apparently the primary qualification was having over 10 1/2 months in country, holding the ranks someone thought appropriate, able to clean up well, and capable of being retrained to march. Enari had been moved over to Radcliff, so to the best of our knowledge the 72 of us, minus confiscated weapons, were alone inside the huge basecamp with just the 1/12th (no offense intended) the worst battalion in the brigade sleeping a couple of guys in every 2nd or 3rd perimeter bunkers.
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MM_11-69.JPGAnti-Lifer ShirtWearing my best "eff the lifers" firebase regalia. Funny thing is, I thought the only items I still had from Nam was my helmet cover, wife's scarf that I kept with some toilet paper between the helmet and helmet liner, my Ho Chi sandals with at least another 1,000 miles left on them, and my dog tags. In going through my AWOL bag for 2/9 items of interest, at the bottom were the same hippy beads.
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Jim_Tex_Shelton.JPGNew Section ChiefPFCl Jim "Tex" Shelton was Section Chief on one of the guns. Took over from Dinky Dau (Dickey Doud) (Sp4 Richard E. Doud) when he ETS'd.
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Gun_5Pit.JPGPhotos contributed by othersThis photo is captioned "Gun 5 pit"
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Tex_overseeing_Gun_2.JPGPhotos contributed by othersGun 2 with Cpl Jim "Tex" Shelton overseeing the operation. Tex took over when Dickey "Dinky Dau" Daud (Sp4 Richard E. Doud) and his guitar went back to the World
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Old_105mm.JPGPhotos contributed by othersThis is the old split tail 105mm howitzer, so it was definitely taken before arriving at LZ St. George.
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Happy_Jack.JPGPhotos contributed by others"Happy Jack"? Guess not. PFC Jackie L. Catron looks a little forlorn.
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Gun5Hooch.JPGPhotos contributed by othersThis photo is captioned "Gun 5 hooch" - had to be LZ St. George since that was the only time there was this kind of building material.
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Jackie_c.JPGPhotos contributed by othersThis photo is captioned "Jackie & others". (PFC Jackie L. Catron).
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JCatron.JPGPhotos contributed by othersThis photo is captioned "Happy Jack". {PFC Jackie L. Catron}
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