Michael Tompkins
06-27-2014, 05:29
Before my son was born, I used to race bicyles...you know, road-racing. One of my fellow teammates was prior army and a Vietnam vet. I worked with his wife and it wasn't until she brought a cigar box full of ribbons and medals to work to have made into a shadow box, did I realize that he was a vet.
One day, I decided to ask him about his time in. He told me he was in the infantry at first, but after 3 months in Vietnam, he figured out that they did not know what they were doing and they were going to get him killed. He wanted out of that outfit and asked for a transfer. They told him the only way out was to get wounded, killed or go Special Forces. He decided to go for Special Forces.
He went back to the states and became a Ranger. He went back to Vietnam as a Ranger and finished his tour. He told me about a couple things. He was wounded twice. Second time was his ticket home. He told me of some pretty hair-raising experiences that he and his buddies endured.
Well, today I was surfing the net and decided to Google his name. Bam... There he was. He was with I Co. (Rangers) 75th Infantry, Ist ID. And it gets better... He's mentioned (a few times) in a book titled, "Phantom Warriors: Book 2 More Extraordinary True Combat Stories from LRRPS, LRPS and Rangers in Vietnam" It's avaiable from Amazon Books.
I am SOOOO getting this book! He told me these things back in the early 90's. The book was published in 2001. I can't wait to read it. He's always been one of my heros, now I get to read about it.
One day, I decided to ask him about his time in. He told me he was in the infantry at first, but after 3 months in Vietnam, he figured out that they did not know what they were doing and they were going to get him killed. He wanted out of that outfit and asked for a transfer. They told him the only way out was to get wounded, killed or go Special Forces. He decided to go for Special Forces.
He went back to the states and became a Ranger. He went back to Vietnam as a Ranger and finished his tour. He told me about a couple things. He was wounded twice. Second time was his ticket home. He told me of some pretty hair-raising experiences that he and his buddies endured.
Well, today I was surfing the net and decided to Google his name. Bam... There he was. He was with I Co. (Rangers) 75th Infantry, Ist ID. And it gets better... He's mentioned (a few times) in a book titled, "Phantom Warriors: Book 2 More Extraordinary True Combat Stories from LRRPS, LRPS and Rangers in Vietnam" It's avaiable from Amazon Books.
I am SOOOO getting this book! He told me these things back in the early 90's. The book was published in 2001. I can't wait to read it. He's always been one of my heros, now I get to read about it.