Vietnam 68-69

Alfredo Hernandez and Greg West at firebase

I took the picture in this post of Alfredo and Greg as they took a break from working on one of our fire-bases.  They are resting against a fuel or water bladder that had been air-lifted to the fire-base.  I couldn’t remember their names but found out what their names were at the ‘Hamburger Hill’ reunion, which was held this May in Clarksville, TN.  It was my first time attending the reunion and I was anxious to meet some of the men that served with me in Vietnam.  I met my Platoon leader Joel Trautmann and was showing him my Vietnam photo album at a gathering in the hospitality room later that day.  When he came to the picture of Alfredo and Greg he said “Do you know who that it is?”, as he pointed at the person on the right in the photo.  “No, I don’t. Who is it?”, I asked, hoping to put a name to a person in one of my photos.  Looking across the room he pointed at one of the guys sitting at a table and said “That’s him right there, that’s Greg West!”  He told Greg that I had a picture of him and asked him to come over and look at it.   Greg was surprised that I had a picture of him and told me a story about his re-assignment from Charlie Company to Alpha Company.  I’m hoping I can get Greg to tell you the story in his own words.  He also has an unbelievable story about Alfredo.

Needless to say it was great to see some of the guys that I had served with in Vietnam so many years ago.