I became a docent at our Museum of Flight I spend another 30 hours a month there. But mostly I am having fun. Good to here from you.

I think 71 is to young to hang it up completely.

I am glad to hear about Jon's bronze Star. I did not do anything that heroic, the ribbons I should have received never caught up to me. Maybe some day I will write my congress woman.

When I was there my mom sent a letter telling me she was sending a 2 lb coffee can full of cookies. I waited and waited. We got turn around mail in 8 days. I told her I was really looking forward to the cookies. The finally came 8 weeks later unfortunately she put a can of right guard in with the cookies. The only think worse than cookies that taste like right guard is no cookies. The same day we got a letter from on high asking about Lt. Quarnstrom's cookies.

Because I had not received them she had written our Congressmen. We had messages going back and forth to Wash DC about my cookies for two months. Never piss off a mom.

Fred

Fred

Just wanted to throw you a Semper Fi. I've known lots of dentists who served in the military, but none who saw what you saw & went through what you went through. Well, Fred (above) too, I guess.

Glad u made it back, as we Vietnam vets like to say to each other. And thanks for the inspiring story.

U still practicing? Been cutting back some, myself. Presently working 3 days a week for the VA & doing a little teaching.

Regards,

Charlie Oster

Former Lance Corporal, radioman, Kilo company, 3/9 Marines.

I lost three brothers in Vietnam and that is the reason I joined in 1977 and did nearly 31 years as a ScoutSniper. I learned many years ago, how valuable Doc's were in the Marine Corps. We love them as brothers and always made damn sure we had their backs when kick the crap out of the Navy guys who tried to give him a hard time. It is an honor to know and to have spoken with you at the Cedar Park VA. It would be an honor the next time to have a picture taken with a Vietnam Vet that served during my brothers times (who unfortunately never came home and are still somewhere in SouthEast Asia). The only thing I ask is that when someone ask you what service you served in, that you never tell them you were in the Navy, because you were and are considered a "Damn Marine" and nothing less. So Semper Fi Marine and may you always be blessed to be surrounded with beautiful women and strong Marines.

Semper Fi,
SgtMaj SkyHawk

COL Alfredo Fernandez, USArmy Reserve

I discovered I had been assigned the Fleet Marine Force at Camp Pendleton. After about 9 months, I switched with another dentist and was sent to a Seabee Battalion, MCB-10. I was back in the Navy. MCB-10 was going to Okinawa to do public works projects. I picked up my Seabee greens and within a month was back at Camp Pendleton taking military training with the battalion.

How silly to teach a dentist to fire machine guns, throw grenades, set up fighting positions and fire bazookas. Little did I realize.

We went to Okinawa and 6 weeks later were on an LST,1066, on our way to an across the beach amphibious landing at Chu Lai. I found my self on a beachhead with a drill powered by a small electric motor or foot treadle. I had no x-ray, suction, air or water. I made due with large ear syringes.

We were lucky. 1965 was early in the war, before it started to heat up. The Seabees had constructed an operational airfield in a little over 3 weeks. Marine A-4 fighter bombers landed with arresting gear, fueled, loaded up with ammunition and bombs and flew missions supporting the Marines that afternoon. They used JATO to take off as the field was a little over 2500' at that time. Often they went into a bomb run shortly after retracting their landing gear.

I did join a rifle squad every now and again and hike through the rice paddies and fields to small villages to do people to people dentistry. All I could do was extractions and the locals did not like local anesthesia. The Marines would only stay an hour so we worked very fast. I was not about to hike back the 5 miles to our jeep by myself.

We visited one of our folks who was in the field hospital one evening. The medics needed our ambulance because there had been a battle and they were overrun with casualties. We took a load wounded to a waiting C-130 at the airfield. The crew said, "You are coming with us. We do not know about taking care of these folks." Our medical officer was along on this trip. That night I started my first IVs. I had received no emergency training when I joined the Navy.

One young Marine said, "Sir I am going to get sick." It was pretty bumpy that night. I gave him my hat; there was nothing else to catch it. He said, "I cannot barf in your hat." I said, "You always wanted to barf on an officer; this is the best chance you will ever have." So he filled my hat. I was able to wash out the hat and it kept the rest of the wounded from getting sick from the smell.

Another medical evacuation flight was in a Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw helicopter. Looking out the window I watched tracers come up toward us. Fortunately we were high enough they could not reach us. Landings were a very steep approach, more a crash than a landing.

While our camp came under attack a few times we were will protected by 3 battalions of Marines. I remember the sign at one of their camps. "The harder we work the luckier we get; the Magnificent Bastards, 3-3" if I remember right.

I came home and left active duty in 1966. I am left with a bit of an identity problem. I was in the Navy, but spent almost all my time with Marines. I was in the Navy but my uniform was green with the anchor globe and eagle insignia. I was a Navy dentist; but in my heart, I was a Marine. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Marines.

I have practiced dentistry for 47 years and taught at 3 dental schools for over 40 years. Life has been very good to me. The harder I worked the Luckier I got. See, I did learn from those Magnificent Men.