Originally Posted by Jim_Knight
Thanks again gentlemen, I really appreciate the encouraging words. Two of my childhood friends joined along with me, in Aug, 1971. We were all in Boot Camp together in Ft Leonard Wood, MO. I was sent to Artillery, Ft Sill; one buddy went to Helicopter Mech school in Geogia, and one went to Medic School in Santone, Tx. (We were all from East Texas) The Mech( he was a poor helicopter mech so they put him in a Transportation co, trucks) was stationed in Mainz, GE. The Medic was stationed in Stuttgart, GE. I was stationed in Augsburg. One of them died of cancer three years ago. The other shot himself last Thursday night. There are no answers to my questions, I miss them both terribly so. "There is a friend that is closer than a brother"...that's anyone you Served with for sure.

Haven't looked at this thread in a while.... Never read this post Jim...

Sorry for your loss.. we all walk our own paths.... some of our ends are at the hands of others... some of our ends are poor health, and some of our ends are just we can't mentally and emotionally handle life any more...

I've always believed our end, has been determined by God, before we are ever born.

When we lose those we have know or especially served in the military with, their loss hits home even more than losing one of your family members.. It at least did for me.. so I am not speaking for others...

But I also believe that one day we will be re united with our friends in our lifetime.. and heaven will be, that we are all young and will never grow old, and never have to live in harms way ever again....

"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC

“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez