Trying to Make It Home: A Vietnam Vet Story

By Robert Washington

To all my brothers and sisters who served in Vietnam and to their families, I say, God Forever be with you and take care of you. So many young men and women were lost in Vietnam. So many are still suffering from the Vietnam War, but God makes no mistakes and everything is for a reason.
I will never forget any of my comrades that I served with in Nam, they were and still is true warriors. They deserve to be honored and treated with respect. Rest in peace my brothers and sisters who did not make it back home alive and peace and happiness for everyone to all of you who came home alive from Vietnam, but is still trying to find home inside.
If anyone should ever ask the Vietnam Vets that knew me or ask my daughters what type of person was Bob Washington, I hope all of them would be able to say that he was a:

1. Good Person
2. Good Father
3. A Brave Person
4. A Godly Person
5. He Tried to Help
6. A Person You Can Trust
7. A Good Soldier
8. Faithful to All Others

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781468506105

Robert Washington

Robert (Bob) Washington was born August 8, 1947 in Suffolk, Virginia. His father, of Black-White Descent, was a twenty one year Marine Veteran. His mother, of Black-Native American-White Descent, moved away from Waverly, VA at young age, and left her son Bob Washington with his grandmother in Waverly, VA.At an early age, Bob learned how to take care of himself from the teaching of his grandmother. Bob left Waverly, VA at the age of 12, moved to Richmond, VA, for one month, and then he moved to Paterson, NJ. Bob served in Vietnam from October 1967 until October 1968, with A Combat Unit. He retired from the Department of Public Works in Paterson, NJ on October 2002, after twenty seven (27) years of service.

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© 2011 by Robert (Bob) Washington. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 11/23/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4685-0611-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-0610-5 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011961434

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED to a few people who has always been there for me through this travel in life. They will never be forgotten by me.

Dedicated to —Rosalyn Washington—My Daughter

       —Gracey Washington—My Grandmother

       —Douglas Harrison—killed in Vietnam

       —Danny Reid—Killed in Vietnam

Contents

Chapter 1 The Beginning

Chapter 2 Teenage and Military Years

Chapter 3 The Valley of Death

Chapter 4 Life in the Jungle of Vietnam

Chapter 5 War Comes with A Price

Chapter 6 Jungle Operations In Vietnam

Chapter 7 Drugs In Vietnam

Chapter 8 Brotherhood in Vietnam

Chapter 9 Leaving Vietnam

Chapter 10 Back In the U.S.A.

Chapter 11 Never Alone, Never Forget

Chapter 12 Did We Ever Make It Back Home?

Chapter 13 Trying To Put My Life Back Together After Vietnam

Chapter 14 Would I do It Again? Any Regrets?

Chapter 15 What Now?

Chapter 16 The Ladies In My Life

Chapter 17 Help Along The Way

Chapter 18 My Thoughts About Vietnam And Life

Chapter 19 The Payback

Chapter 20 A Few Words of Wisdom

Chapters 21 Families I Met That Were A Part Of My Life

Chapter 22 Do you know the Vietnam Vet?

TRYING TO MAKE IT HOME

A VIETNAM VET STORY

(Did we really return home from Vietnam)

Chapter 1

The Beginning

I COULD START OFF this book by saying how great I am or how much I have achieved but those things are not important to me, never was and never will be because I am just a humble servant of the Lord God.

I will began my story by going back to the very beginning.

I was born Aug. 8, 1947, in Suffolk VA, and I was raised in a small country town called Waverly, VA. I lived in this small town