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Local Vietnam vet is reunited with his battalion 40 years later Date published: 7/25/2009
BY JONAS BEALS The names flowed from their mouths like they were neighborhoods across town: Chu Lai, Da Nang, Dong Ha. Forty years later, Spotsylvania resident Leo Breeden met four other Vietnam War veterans for the first time since they shared a battalion on the other side of the world. The stories and memories came easily. "That was me 80 pounds ago," said 64-year-old John Gibbons as he looked at photos. "I weighed 145 when I came back from Vietnam." Much has changed since their time together in the Marine Corps, but all five men were still clearly devoted to one another--brothers forever in the 7th Motor Transport Battalion, Company A. Those men--many of them teenagers at the time--were the lifeline of the Marine Corps during the war. Along supply routes, they drove hulking trucks loaded with soldiers, food, ammunition and anything else that made the fighting possible. In convoys protected by roof-mounted 50-caliber machine guns, these men spent their days crawling along dirt roads--sitting ducks for guerrilla groups lurking in the trees. Breeden, 63, and Dominic Penna, 61, recalled stashing sandbags on the floorboards as insurance against gunfire and explosions as they drove Highway 9, otherwise known as "Ambush Alley." Along with gut-wrenching stories of lost friends and selfless sacrifice, there were lighter moments. The group--which also included Mike Gregorio, 61, and Jack Casey, 74--shared fond memories of warm beer, C rations and stale, bug-infested bread. They revived old complaints about helmets and flack jackets. They commiserated over unbearable superiors and spoke reverently of brothers who never made it home. Until last year, most of those stories were locked in the hearts and heads of the individuals who lived them. Most of the members of the "Flying A Roughriders" didn't even know how to get in touch with one another. Gibbons, who lives in Sulphur Springs, Texas, went to Amarillo to visit Casey. The visit went well, and the two started working the phones to turn up old friends. It was slow going at first. "It's hard to remember a lot of full names after so many years," Gibbons said. "But we would call, and the person on the other end would say 'I've been waiting on this call for 40 years.'"
Thank you so much for your service in our military! Your sacrafice is VERY much appreciated! I'm glad you all got to have your long-overdue reunion! Bless you all!
Heartwarming
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