I recently attended my Army reunion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I love nothing more than reuniting with my guys. Those gatherings mean the world to me.

Why? I’ll tell ya.

The unit I served with - the 11th Armored Cavalry - boarded ships for South Vietnam in September 1966. They stayed until the unit came home in 1972. During that time, we lost 730 of our own.

Seven hundred and thirty.

One day, First Sergeant Bishop shouted, “Sergeant Pass, get your duffel bag. You’re catching a chopper back to base camp. You’ll be my rear detachment NCOIC.” That stands for Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge.

I looked him square in the eye and said, “First Sergeant, I’m not leaving.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “You’re leaving on May 4th. You’re me, back at base camp. That’s an order.”

It was April 27th, with orders to return home on May 4th, so there wasn't much time to serve as NCOIC. But an order’s an order. And as I climbed aboard that helicopter, my mind was spinning. I was only thinking about my guys.

In my heart, it felt like I was leaving them behind. We’d been up near An Loc and Loc Ninh, right after the Tet Offensive. Our unit had pushed all the way down to Long Binh and Bien Hoa in the Widows Village area to help beat back the attack on Saigon. Then we went back and retook the ground we’d already fought for. And let me tell you, that ground had been paid for... in lives, in wounds, and in memories that never leave you.

I returned home on May 6th, 1968. Five days later, on May 11th, I married Patricia. We were still on our honeymoon on May 13th when I heard the news. Five of my brothers had been killed in action. Five men I served with, laughed with, drank with, and bonded with. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

I wasn’t there... and if I had been, could I have done anything to protect them? That thought still lingers to this day.

That’s why my Army reunion means so much. It’s not only a chance to see the faces of old friends, but it’s also a time to honor the 730 who couldn’t attend. Including my five brothers on panel 59E on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

Be well. Stay well.
 Thanks for reading'. Francis Pass

P.S. - We meet again on earth, until we meet again in heaven.