These "empty chairs" sit at the table which is the life of OutbackBob, C-Btry, 2/19th Arty. 1st Cav. 69-70, 519th MI Bn. MACV, '72:
Benny J. Smith, Army, PFC, Grunt 11B, 20 years young.
Killed by hostile small arms fire Jan. 31, 1968, Tay Ninh province.
Benny
was my best boyhood friend, I joined the Army in 1967, he was
drafted in 1968. I was in Germany when I learned of his death.
I went to Viet-nam a year later. I always wondered of the where
abouts of his death, and found out only this month (Mar, 97)
that he was killed in the same province I was sent to. A very
eirie feeling I now find myself retracing all my whereabouts
in my head, wondering if Benny was there. One of the things he
said to his wife while on leave was that he would not return
alive. He only lived 22 days. What a waste! He is sorely missed.
Roy W. Duncan, Army, PFC, 11B Grunt, 19 years young.
Killed by hostile rocket or mortar fire in Bien Hoa province
Feb 28, 1968, just short of 2 months In Country.
Roy
was my friend in High School, we were in band together, I played
trumpet he played cornet, I was always in awe of him because
he played so well. We used to sit in the back of the bus on the
way to football games flirtin with the cheerleaders. He will
always be a friend.
Robert "Bob" Yoesting, Army, PFC, Radio Operator,
served in Tay-Ninh province in 1969.
Bob
is still alive but suffers from PTSD, he will not seek treatment,
he fears the Gov't, and suffers immensely. Bob and I were in
the same unit in the 1st Cav, Tay Ninh Base Camp. We got in some
trouble on the base camp, he was sent to the top of Nui Ba Dien
Mountain (Trail Spike Relay), I was sent out to LZ Jamie ammo
section of C Battery, 2/19th Artillery. I never saw Bob after
that until almost 20 years later when he tracked me down trying
to find out from my family if I had been killed in a fierce ground
attack on LZ Jamie later that year. He had been through some
hand to hand combat on top the mountain and had killed a young
(boy) VC. He can't get the look in the dead boys eyes out of
his head, and still suffers. I haven't had any contact with Bob
in almost 5 years and wonder about him all the time. His chair
is empty.