10. A VIETNAMESE SOLDIER REMEMBERS SOME PILOTS

Hello Mr. Jack,

I remember one time flying on the CH53 or CH54 helicopters from Ubon Thailan to Vietnam, the helicopter was leaking oil so badly it had to be landed. We had to stand guard while the other helicopter flew back to the base and then came back with a technician to fix the chopper. We then flew back to Ubon that same day. I would like to contact these pilots and the crews to find out how they're doing after that, would you please help?

nks, A Vietnamese Soldier

REFLECTIONS: If it is hard for American veterans to contact each other after this many years, can you imagine what it must be like to be a Vietnamese soldier trying to contact someone they once knew. In the 10 years of that war we suffered many casualties: Through May 1972, Americans - 45,734 killed in action, 303,045 wounded, 10,152 dead from non-hostile causes. The South Vietnamese - 141,977 killed in action, 361,048 wounded. As tragic as these numbers are, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong suffered way more - 828,050 killed. Many years later, the Vietnamese would admit that during the war, the NVA had more than 100,000 MIA. This was a war that consumed more than a million fighting men and who knows how many civilians. I hope we never forget.