I just wrapped up the first leg of my Spring Vacation. The 6th Battalion 11th Artillery Reunion in San Antonio far exceeded my expectations. Of course I should say, my expectations were not very clear to begin with. I really wondered what it would be like to go to an event attended by guys who had mostly never met or, if they had met, it was only as acquaintances 45 years ago. What I found was, the years and lack of contact didn't matter. As soon as we gathered in the hotel, it was like a family reunion. The bond we share is that of being Vietnam Veterans who served in the same unit. It was that shared experience, and the impact that it had on our lives, that put us all at ease. While individually we each served 12 to 14 months at some time between 1967 and 1971, the shared experiences quickly turned a gathering of individuals into bunch of guys hangin' out and swapping stories. And the stories weren't just about what happened in Vietnam. Much of the conversation was about how that experience had impacted our lives after we returned home. I count myself lucky as being one of a small percentage of the gathering not wearing a hearing aid. It should be no surprise that in a room full of artillerymen the most common word you hear is “What?”. On Friday evening we had a "Meet and Greet" during which we reconnected with folks we knew briefly 45 years ago and made friends with those we hadn't met before but knew anyway. This was made easy by the name tags we received when we arrived. Each contained our name, the Battery to which we had been assigned and the years we served with the unit. In addition, the name tag contained our picture as we appeared when serving in Vietnam. The pictures were a big hit. My name tag: 
As soon as we saw the picture of one of our unit mates (who look little like that now!) a connection was made. I was quickly greeted by several as “Lieutenant”. I found that no one had known my fist name when we server together. I was Lieutenant White, not Fred White! That evening I was pleased to meet up with a handful of folks that I had actually served with directly.
During the evening and weekend, our bond of friendship grew. Another rewarding aspect of this gathering was that a large number of the Veterans were accompanied by their wives. It became clear that as the weekend passed, the wives gained a deeper understanding of the significances the opportunity this gathering had for all of us. Several of the wives mentioned that if anyone had told them they would be attending a reunion of Vietnam Veterans 45 years after protesting the war in which they served, they would not have believed it. Not only were they in attendance, they made it clear they were proud of the husbands and of the husbands' service.
On Saturday morning we had a session with a Veterans' Services Officer who explained various benefits to which we may be entitled. I was surprised to learn that my high blood pressure may be considered an effect of exposure to Agent Orange and may entitle me to some Veterans' Disability benefit. I plan to check on this when I get home.
After the meeting, I spent the afternoon visiting some of the historic missions in San Antonio. Many years ago, Lynda, Kim, Doug and I had made a trip to San Antonio with my Mom and Dad. We visited these missions on that trip and this gave me the opportunity to revisit the locations and remember that time we spent together.
I find the missions very interesting and relaxing to stroll through.
Saturday evening was capped off with a banquet for the reunion. Good food with good friends.
After dinner, we attempted a "C Battery Group Photo". I'm not sure how it turned out.
Sunday was spent touring downtown San Antonio with Glen Adams and his wife Peggy and Hector Cuecuecra and his wife Isabel. Our exploration got a little out of hand and turned into a long hike on a hot day. It really pushed my legs and left them sore the next day.
However, it turned out that Peggy suffered more from the outing than I did. We were not aware she has chronic back problems and the walk took her out of commission before dinner that evening. She was a trooper, giving no indication she was in pain during our walk. If she had, we could have caught a cab. I sure would have voted for it. Dinner at County Line Bar-B-Que on the River Walk with Glen, Hector and Isabel wrapped up the day and my time at the reunion. I'm glad I made the trip.
Now it's off to New Braunfels to explore the Guadalupe river.
Pappy
April 28, 2011 Update
Group pictures from the Reunion have now been published (Click to enlarge). Here are the Vets:
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