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Homecoming Pictures |
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Homecoming pictures
from Pete Cox, 596 Viet Nam Vet, 12 April 2004
Pretty moving experience, and a contrast
to what we RVN Vets received.
Arrived at the hangar at Marshall Field
about 0445 Hrs and waited until 0500 Hrs for the doors to open.
Chairs and bleaches were set up around the walls and began filling up
rather quickly. During the wait, a slide show was played of the
unit soldiers in various places in Iraq. This ceremony was for
elements of the 1ST Bde of the 1ST AD of which the 596TH was a part.
Probably 1000 or so to welcome them. The soldiers were first taken to
the unit area where they turned in weapons and were fed. They
arrived at the hangar around 0645 Hours to a noisy welcome and were
formed up facing their families behind the unit colors.
The 596TH Commander and Guidon were on the right hand side of the
pictures. After brief welcoming remarks by the CG,
soldiers were released to be greeted by their families.
When I returned from RVN, I left DaNang
via commercial contract flight still in jungle fatigues. We also
had a lot of Marines on the flight. These were dropped off in
Okinawa to be replaced by Marines in clean uniforms. This flight
ended at Norton AFB, CA. From there I caught a hop with the
NY Air Guard in a C-97 and was dropped off at the end of the runway at
the Syracuse NY commercial airport. I then caught a flight to
Hartford where I was met by my family, no less glad to see me than
those on Monday at Riley.
Thanks Pete
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