Cecil, Gerald Zinngrabe was a Platoon Leader in B Co and went over with us on the boat. There will be several of the "Boat People" who remember him. Charles Begley and I were talking about him just a week or so ago. He was a tall, skinny, black headed guy who smoked a lot. Smart guy and a heck of an Engineer. Bring the orders along to the reunion and we'll get a copy into Al Cochran's historical files. Bob Spencer, you hit on the head Brother. Thank you, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Brother Bonney-is there anything we can do to get you excited about this reunion-anything at all???

i just found some old orders sign by 2/lt gerald f. zinngrabe co. of bco. hope some one know him

Hay brothers I am back on line at buckskin@sprint.com, phone nr. 580-475-0059, cell phone 580-726-2319. How ever I will miss the reunion this year do to medical resons. However it isn't anything to worry about my legs are going bad. So take and post lots of pictures as my thoughts will be with you all. Well thats it God bless you all.

Uhhhhh, thats "September" sorry about that.

I'll be there, see all of you in Semtember.

Bob - the manner in which you described our experiences upon leaving Vietnam, and the importance of the reunions - is extraordinary. Perhaps, with your permission, we can get Perry to carry over what you have written into a permanent link on the 589th web site. Well said Brother. Thank you.

One month and 15 days to reunion time. Can't wait to see all of my BROTHERS. The ones that don't go are going to miss a great time.

Well put Bob! I too, was skeptical at first. I was trying to forget, but as I thought about all the guys I might never have seen again, I changed my mind. It was the best thing I ever did. I'm extremely grateful to all those who got us together and hope to keep seeing new faces. Sign up and meet us in Branson.

Bob, I just read your comments and all I can say is "DITTO". Perfectly said!

Very well said Bob! I agree with everything you said.

Why attend the reunion? For most of us, leaving Viet Nam was the happiest day of our lives. Unfortunately, leaving Viet Nam also meant leaving some very close friends behind, that was the price we paid. To move on in our lives required wiping the slate clean, forgetting about the past and focusing on our futures. Most of us did that very well; at least we thought we did. For 40 plus years, it was out of sight and out of mind. Most of us adopted the philosophy, if you do not think about it, it did not exist, although the experience stayed in the back of our minds because it was real. We dealt with the experience in many ways. We drank too much. We raised hell. We found it difficult to settle down and just be like everyone else. As a result, we had (have) damaged relationships, lingering medical problems, and remaining psychological issues. Reunions are about repairing that damage. Attending the past two reunions has helped me realize the feelings I harbored for so many years are the same feelings shared by many. It was not just me who felt guilty about leaving everyone behind and forgetting about them as I returned home. It was not just me who carried the weight a Viet Nam experience can have on a 19 year-old. It is not just me who cannot forget, even after spending years trying. Reunions are about normalizing those feelings and experiences, about repairing the damage. So, for those of you who may be straddling the fence, not sure if you are ready to attend a reunion, please give it some thought. I encourage you to do so. You owe it to yourselves and you owe it to those who served with you. Even if you do not need the reunion to help heal your life, many of us need you to help us heal ours. You are just as important to the 589th Engineers Battalion now as you were 40 years ago, we do not want to leave anyone behind.

I just talked to four of our brothers about the reunion and they are going but have not signed up yet. Pick up the phone and call your buddies and tell them to get on the stick and sign up! Lets keep a great thing going. Thanks to Perry and the crew that started this. Brothers then and then brothers now! Don't mean to wish my life away but I sure hope September gets here quickly!

Nick, sorry to hear about Frank Farmer. I know he will be missed by all of us. That is the reason we need to attend the reunion this year. We are not getting any younger. Look at how many we have lost in the past year. At the rate it going it want be long before we will all be gone. BROTHER here hoping to see you at reunion.