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hope all you now old grunts had a decent day today–and hope we all get a few more vet days and reunions, before we meet willie at the old timers firebase. be well fellow grunts.
Hi to all my Charlie Grunt Brothers. I hope you have a peaceful and happy Veteran’s Day. I am thankful that each of you were there to support me and each other through the difficult time we spent together. Remember those who aren’t with us.
Happy Veterans to everyone it was an honor serving with you.
Special Veterans Day Thanks to “196th”ers and to all Vets. I was with D 2/1 at and around Hawk Hill July 69/70. Nice Website guys.
Jesse,
It was an honor and pleasure to be able to spend time with Willie and his lovely wife in his final days on earth. It was particulary wonderful to see his excitement while narrating his photos from Vietnam. Someone who did not serve like we did my find it hard to understand the relationships we had then, now and forever. We are truly a band of brothers! Where else could and old guy like me and others do a high five salute with beers in hand at 2:00 in the morning. We are truly a band of brothers! A Veterans Day salute of all the C/2/1 and especially Willie who is preparring the Lager site for all of us. May God bless us all!
Hello all. My name is Jesse Mitchell and my step-father was Dennis “Willie” Atneosen.
As you know, Denny recently passed away, shortly after the reunion in Wabasha. I just found this discussion board, and wanted to let you all know that making it to that reunion was immeasurably important to him. It’s likely that you all saw the condition he was in, but that didn’t matter to him and he and my mother made the drive to Wabasha from western Montana. He knew this would be his last tour, but making it there was all that mattered. I want to make sure that all of his friends know how important they were to him. In reflecting on Veteran’s Day, I will never know the hell that was Vietnam, and honestly, I am grateful for that. I thank you all for your sacrifices, many of which I cannot begin to imagine. I also wanted to thank you as well for having this reunion. Since I live in Cottage Grove, MN, I would not have had a chance to see him one more time before his passing and I am VERY grateful for that.
My wife and I went out to Montana to be there for my mother and to assist her in making all of the funeral arrangements. While he elected to be buried in a non-military cemetery, he did receive a full military funeral. He was buried in his 196th shirt and with his favorite Veteran hat. It was a beautiful service and I know that he is now in a much better place.
Best of wishes and God bless all of you and your families.
Happy Vets day to one and all vets. We put the flags on every vets grave here in my home town. Our American Legion puts on a hamburger fry and we all get together in the evenings.
This year I would like to extend a special and heartfelt appreciation to ALL veterans, but especially to the men of the 196th LIB who served with my father. God Bless you all!
A Veterans Day salute to all Charlie Grunts on this day. And… a special thanks and appreciation to all I had the honor of serving with Nam. Semper Primus!
wishing all living VETS a very special day tomorrow/ those who gave all====a herty thanks and may we never forget RIP
Lt,
They will be rolling you all the way home!
Lurch,
Do they still allow studded snow tires in NY state? I thought they got banned everywhere years ago. Breakfast today with the HS kids at Central High who have been doing breakfast for vets for 4 years now. free breakfast in the morning tomorrow with my youngest who works at Egg Harbor and breakfast and lunch as well as veteran’s panels with HS Kids at our North HS. This is fun!
I have the day off tomorrow so I will have my studded snow tires put on the car. We had the first snow of the season on Monday… an inch and a half….I hope all you guys have a good Veterans Day….. and may God protect all our troops currently in harn’s way.
Hey guys!
Jim Intravia or Infantry’s son Adam posted on the 196th site looking for folks who served with his Dad. I responded that he should come to our sight and reach out as I’m sure a lot of folks here know Jim in Vietnam.
Short Round,
Cold spell here with highs in the low 70’s and lows at night in the mid 40’s. What is a guy to do in this extreme weather. Throw on another blanket.
lt–i feel for you–it was only 87 degrees here today.
I did a small thing for Vets this weekend by selling Buddy Poppies for the VFW for 4.5 hours. On Saturday I was by the Post Office and it was so damn cold it made me think about my time in Alaska but I told myself it was a small sacrifice. I am going for my annual breakfast with the Key Club at the local HS Wednesday AM. I really enjoy those visits and answering their questions. Hope all is well with all my brothers!
Harmon and short round,
I’s really nice to see a message posted by someone who was there the same time as me. Hey Harmon do you remember Sam Waidelich? He was the best point man I have seen.
I got in touch with him a few months ago and he still lives in CA. He said he will attend the 196th reunion in July in Seattle. How about you, are you thinking about attending?
Dan
I find the Scott Rankin story very heartwarming. Recognizing the fact that Larry Harper is the person who gave us this medium, I nominate Larry for sainthood.
There was a similar story on the 196th website a couple years ago.
I was also in 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, but not until December, 1969. I think a booby trap got most of the squad in late November.
hi harmon–yes, i still have grunt etiquette–welcome to the company, now ruck up. as your here longer you`ll notice some C-2/1 officers still haven`t mastered typing and thinking at the same time–or is it vice versa ? not that i would imply anything towards lt metts or a couple former C.O.s, like rudy yap or bob morris, etc etc. they must have missed that course at O.C. S. we have had company reunions for a few years, some every 2 yrs, some every year.the company roster list came from a bunch of effort by larry harper, as did this site. you get retired yet ? health been ok ? still eating C-rats ? again, good to see you here.
dan roz—ahhhhhh–fresh blood on the site—oops–i mean an fng.any bets harmon still hasn`t finished his house addition that he started 15 yrs ago ?harmon–is that nam camera the same 1 you used at the chicago parade in 1986 ?
on occasion, some have used the phrase “.dumb grunts ” dan–think harmon can get a pic into his my documents folder and then email it to larry harper ? i know–giving 2 directions to some grunts can cause a mental overload. glad some 1 pointed harmon in the right direction to get here. did harmon ever walk point ? took him a while to get here.
Scott, I’m deeply saddened to hear of the loss of your father. My name is Harmon Randall and in roughly the second quarter of ’68 I was squad leader of the 3rd platoon, 3rd squad, C 2/1. Your dad was in my squad. I don’t remember when he arrived in the squad but perhaps Hampton Mett’s diary clarified that. All I can say for certain is that I went on R&R in the middle of May and bought the first and only camera that I had in VN. when I got back I took a total of about 20 pix, and your dad is in 2 of them. I was wounded and medivaced backed to the World 10 days after I returned from R&R. I’m sorry to report that I don’t have any stories to share with you, but I believe in the short time that we knew each other it was relatively quiet and we just hadn’t got to know each other that much. What I do remember most about your father is that he never complained about anything and was one of the nicest people that I have ever met; a genuine and honest man. Thankfully you had 9 years to get to know him and although it has almost been 8 years since his passing I understand the great sense of loss is still very painful. My deepest condolences.
Sense I’m a FNG to this site I want to say hey to all of you that know me. In some of those pix I took I’ve captured the souls of Larry Winkle, Hampton Metts, Earnest ” Twiggy” Mc Kinney, Johnny Keller and of course Sonny Kennison.
Can one of you old lifers like Dan Roczniak or Short -Round give me a clue on what I need to do to post the few pix I have to the site? Please make it simple, I’m not as quick on the trigger as I was when I was 20.
Hey Lurch! Does the term rot gut mean anything to you?
LT
Hi Dan…I read the article on line… Bulleit Bourbon made by a Navy corpsman who served with the Marines….It looks good…I usually drink Fleischmann’s Blended Whiskey. It costs $4.99 for a 375 ml bottle….It is a sacrifice I make for the family budget….Bulleit Bourbon…It gives new meaning to the expression ” I’d take a bullet for ya”.
Lurch,
If I remember correctly, from the reunion in Hilton Head, you like your Bourbon. Did you see the article in the new American Legion magazine about Bulliet Bourbon? It’s made by a Nam vet. I am going to have to try it out.
Dan
Scott, I have a copy of 3 pages of LT Metts diary showing the platoon roster for two months Sonny was there. I have added the first names of guy’s I remember. April 1968 3rd platoon 3rd squad, Harmon Randall, John Keller, Eng, Cronin, Carl Meyer, McKenny, Sonny Kennison, Graboski, Johnson (at the last reunion), McDermitt, Fortson. In May additionally, Washington, Portson, Engh, Dennis Pringle, Wallace, and Wikel. please contact me at danielroczniak at sbcglobal.net Dan
Lt Ken has been the only one to send me any photos to post. I posted on 10-21 on how to contact me about photos. I would love to have more photos to post.
If my list is correct, I show that 37 guys showed up for our last reunion. Fun was had by all.
Scott,
I believe I came after. I arrived Nov. 68 and was in second platoon. I did not have the honor to know him but honored to know his son.
Thank you…it is I who am honored to talk to all of you. It means a lot! God bless you!
Thank you Bill B. Did you also serve with my father?
Sorry for you loss Scott.
Larry Fry look at my post on 10-21-10 on how to get photos to me.