A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
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A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Sarah and I spent Tuesday afternoon and evening with an old friend and his wife.
Steve Veltri and I went through Special Forces Training Group together in the Medical Aidman program, we were on the same team for Final Phase Training after forty weeks of medical and went to the same platoon at 6th Group after that. We spent our final weeks Stateside together at the 6th Group motor pool. We went to Viet Nam at the same time and did the Hon Tre Island Combat Orientation Course together. Then were both assigned to C Company in Bien Hoa. We were then sent to separate Special Forces A-Team Camps. I was sent to Bu Dop and Steve was sent to Loc Ninh, the next camp along the Cambodian border below Bu Dop. Both were active camps, under siege at the time and I think Steve saw a good bit more combat than I did, at least according to the war stories we told Tuesday.
We talked, at least once, on radio while at those camps.
Steve and I have been in E-mail contact for quite some time, but we haven't seen each other since October, 1969, forty-eight years ago.
Steve and his wife have lived in Broward and Palm Beach Counties in South Florida, but bought land pursuant to retirement in the Panhandle, just over an hour's drive from my sister, so, as I was visiting her this week, Steve and I arranged a meeting.
Sarah and I made the drive and met them in a popular local restaurant near their home.
He's still slim, hasn't changed much, except he's older, seventy-one, and grey. He's ten months older than I.
He retired from The Florida Highway Patrol after more than thirty years service and was a lieutenant homicide detective when he quit.
We had a nice lunch beginning at noon and we were still at our table talking at three-thirty. We were just about the only ones still there from the lunch crowd. Waitress had cleared and reset all the other tables in her area. She had come by and told us she got off work at three and Steve's wife told her we had not seen each other for forty-eight years. She said she would gladly redo the table the next morning.
We talked for a bit longer, Steve and I telling those war stories and the wives doing girl talk and looking at photos of children and grandchildren.
We still were not talked out. Marsha, Steve's wife, popped up with, "Let's go to our house and fix dinner." So, that's what we did.
Sarah and I followed them through the winding road, multiple turn nine mile journey.
Got the grand tour of the little paradise they are creating, had one of the best spaghetti dinners I've ever had and we talked some more.
They are rehabbing a circa 1950 farm house on seventy-five acres of wooded property. Steve hunts deer within sight of his back door. There's a fish pond about one acre in size.
We looked at Steve's old photos, some of which included me.
Finally had to leave in order to get back to my sister's by nine. My dogs were there and needed tending to.
Steve will not even consider Facebook, but Marsha is on there, so I'm going to "Friend" her.
He's as stubborn as ever and hasn't seen a doctor in over ten years. He's very active and has done most of the work on their place himself, including enlarging two rooms and relocating the bathroom. He has a work shop to die for.
We all need to have a face-to-face with as many of our old military friends as we can. Most of mine have already died.
I'm going to try to get Steve to go to a 5th Special Forces Group Reunion with me. That's the Group that we were in in Viet Nam. He is a Special Forces Association member and attended the Jacksonville meeting a year or so ago. I have never bothered to join that. No reason, really. But, their meeting in 2019 will be back in Jacksonville again. I'll join if I can get Steve to agree to go.
Steve, Marsha, Sarah and I had a great day and evening together.
Hopefully, this won't be the last time the four of us get together. We were invited back.
Charlie Noyes
Steve Veltri and I went through Special Forces Training Group together in the Medical Aidman program, we were on the same team for Final Phase Training after forty weeks of medical and went to the same platoon at 6th Group after that. We spent our final weeks Stateside together at the 6th Group motor pool. We went to Viet Nam at the same time and did the Hon Tre Island Combat Orientation Course together. Then were both assigned to C Company in Bien Hoa. We were then sent to separate Special Forces A-Team Camps. I was sent to Bu Dop and Steve was sent to Loc Ninh, the next camp along the Cambodian border below Bu Dop. Both were active camps, under siege at the time and I think Steve saw a good bit more combat than I did, at least according to the war stories we told Tuesday.
We talked, at least once, on radio while at those camps.
Steve and I have been in E-mail contact for quite some time, but we haven't seen each other since October, 1969, forty-eight years ago.
Steve and his wife have lived in Broward and Palm Beach Counties in South Florida, but bought land pursuant to retirement in the Panhandle, just over an hour's drive from my sister, so, as I was visiting her this week, Steve and I arranged a meeting.
Sarah and I made the drive and met them in a popular local restaurant near their home.
He's still slim, hasn't changed much, except he's older, seventy-one, and grey. He's ten months older than I.
He retired from The Florida Highway Patrol after more than thirty years service and was a lieutenant homicide detective when he quit.
We had a nice lunch beginning at noon and we were still at our table talking at three-thirty. We were just about the only ones still there from the lunch crowd. Waitress had cleared and reset all the other tables in her area. She had come by and told us she got off work at three and Steve's wife told her we had not seen each other for forty-eight years. She said she would gladly redo the table the next morning.
We talked for a bit longer, Steve and I telling those war stories and the wives doing girl talk and looking at photos of children and grandchildren.
We still were not talked out. Marsha, Steve's wife, popped up with, "Let's go to our house and fix dinner." So, that's what we did.
Sarah and I followed them through the winding road, multiple turn nine mile journey.
Got the grand tour of the little paradise they are creating, had one of the best spaghetti dinners I've ever had and we talked some more.
They are rehabbing a circa 1950 farm house on seventy-five acres of wooded property. Steve hunts deer within sight of his back door. There's a fish pond about one acre in size.
We looked at Steve's old photos, some of which included me.
Finally had to leave in order to get back to my sister's by nine. My dogs were there and needed tending to.
Steve will not even consider Facebook, but Marsha is on there, so I'm going to "Friend" her.
He's as stubborn as ever and hasn't seen a doctor in over ten years. He's very active and has done most of the work on their place himself, including enlarging two rooms and relocating the bathroom. He has a work shop to die for.
We all need to have a face-to-face with as many of our old military friends as we can. Most of mine have already died.
I'm going to try to get Steve to go to a 5th Special Forces Group Reunion with me. That's the Group that we were in in Viet Nam. He is a Special Forces Association member and attended the Jacksonville meeting a year or so ago. I have never bothered to join that. No reason, really. But, their meeting in 2019 will be back in Jacksonville again. I'll join if I can get Steve to agree to go.
Steve, Marsha, Sarah and I had a great day and evening together.
Hopefully, this won't be the last time the four of us get together. We were invited back.
Charlie Noyes
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Great reunion and a great story, thanks
Larry W
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
That is awesome! Happy you were able to re-connect!
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
That was some good reading. Thank you for sharing.
Mike
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Glad you guys finally got to see each other once more.
Phil
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
I have never been in the military or any other organization that fosters bonding. I don't have any friends from 48 years ago. I am 70 so that part i can relate to. Even with this lack of common experience i thoroughly enjoyed reading the post and reflecting on the importance of long time friendships. It also brings up the sad thought of all the men in Vietnam who did not get to come home and live the rest of their life as you and Steve have done.
kj
kj
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Good stuff! Glad y'all got together again. Charlie, since you were in the Panhandle y'all should have come by Starvation Plantation and visited a while.
Treefarmer
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
That is wonderful that you got to reconnect after all these years.
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Thanks everyone. It was a day I did not want to see end.
TreeFarmer, my sister lives in Cantonment and Steve in DeFuniak Springs.
How close to you was I?
I'm still at my sister's until Monday.
Charlie
TreeFarmer, my sister lives in Cantonment and Steve in DeFuniak Springs.
How close to you was I?
I'm still at my sister's until Monday.
Charlie
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
- treefarmer
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Charlie, we are about 40 miles east of DeFuniak in the Chipley area.
Treefarmer
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Charlie, I won't try to steal your thunder with my story but let me just say, "I can relate and those who have not been there (not just Viet Nam but also the military) have no real concept of what your experience with your old compadre was like". Good on you and your buddy. Here's hoping there are more meetings of a similar nature in your future.
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The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.
This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.
"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
That's great Charlie, ain't nothing like reconnecting with ole comrades in arms. thanks for sharing .
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Good stuff there.
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Thank you Charles for sharing what I can only call a deeply personal story. I am very happy that you and your friend were able to connect again after almost half a century. I can clearly see you talking about this one evening around a campfire in the woods in the fall, where there's a chill in the air, a fire crackling, fallen leaves everywhere, and good friends and memories reign supreme. Well done my Friend...
___________
Mike
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Great times to meet again, very happy for you and Steve. OH
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
When we were at Ft Sam Houston in the Summer of 1968, several of the guys went on a rattlesnake hunt out in the boonies between San Antonio and the Rio Grande.
Here is a couple of pics (not mine, I did not go) of Steve that day.
They brought back a half dozen snakes and kept them in foot lockers. There are some stories there.
Charlie
Here is a couple of pics (not mine, I did not go) of Steve that day.
They brought back a half dozen snakes and kept them in foot lockers. There are some stories there.
Charlie
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Do they all start with "This is no shirt".RobesonsRme.com wrote: There are some stories there.
Charlie
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.
This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.
"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.
This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.
"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Pretty much.
The best involves a surprise Saturday morning IG Inspection.
I think the most oft quoted phrase was, "I said, "Open That Foot Locker, Soldier", followed by a swift hard kick to the foot locker in question. At which point, he muttered "Carry On" and he an his entire entourage vacated the barracks.
Charlie
The best involves a surprise Saturday morning IG Inspection.
I think the most oft quoted phrase was, "I said, "Open That Foot Locker, Soldier", followed by a swift hard kick to the foot locker in question. At which point, he muttered "Carry On" and he an his entire entourage vacated the barracks.
Charlie
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hahahahahahaha...!!! Classic!
Hahahahahahaha...!!! Classic!
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Good story, Charlie and congrats to you guys for the reunion after all this time.
Ray
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God Bless the USA
Please visit my store SWEETWATER KNIVES
"Buy more ammo" - Johnnie Fain
"I'm glad I ain't scared to be lazy." Augustus McCrae
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
Great reunion story. I'm sure it won't be another 48 years til the next one.
Why'd they go that far for rattlers? The dry creek bed that runs through Ft Sam has always been chock full of the bastards. We had to dodge them during early morning PT test runs when I drilled there.
Why'd they go that far for rattlers? The dry creek bed that runs through Ft Sam has always been chock full of the bastards. We had to dodge them during early morning PT test runs when I drilled there.
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
No idea. We had an amateur herpetologist in our group. He arranged it. I don't even know what they used for transportation.
Charlie
Charlie
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"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
Sidlow Baxter
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
You stirred up lots of memories Charlie. I reconnected with my best Army buddy just a few years ago. So far all emails and photos. We hope to get together sooner rather than later.
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Re: A Reunion After Forty-Eight Years
.....been nearly 40 years since I heard or saw any mention of defuniack springs!!..my mother had a brother who ran a fish camp near there for years...wish I could remember the exact location???......... .......treefarmer wrote:Charlie, we are about 40 miles east of DeFuniak in the Chipley area.
Treefarmer