July 19,2026- “I want this!”- So said my granddaughter, as she sat on my lap, while I was reading my Baha’i prayer book, this morning. I let her touch the cover and the pages, but not pull on them. She understood, after I explained the reason, a second time. It is nice that she wants to hold such a comforting book.

We went to Costco, as a family, this afternoon. Hana is not yet curious about stuff. She basically looks at what people are doing-especially other children teasing their parents. She had no reaction today, at a little boy trying to keep things away from his mother. On other occasions, she has babbled at another child, in a scolding tone. Today, she was in a more pensive mood.

In the evening, we had Hana in a swim vest, and she kicked her legs several times, in forward motion, in a half full bathtub. With a full protective suit and three of us hovering, she was perfectly safe and felt more relaxed.

HANA’S NOTE- I like to handle things-and put my mouth on them. My grown-ups won’t let me “eat” some things. I try to do that anyway. Books taste yucky!

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1971 My first experience with the Pacific Northwest=11 different forms of weather, in 24 hours, at Fort Lewis, WA. My first experience with Japan- Yokota Air Force Base was a miserable place, with bad weather and miserable American civilians, who disdained us grunts. My experiences with VietNam- Mostly kind, gentle locals worked on the bases at Long Binh and at Cholon. I was seen as a “newbie”, at Long Binh, especially by those who had come in from combat units, in the back country. One of them changed his tune, after I defended him from the unit’s self-styled alpha male, while I was assistant Charge of Quarters, overnight. I managed the Accountable Mail cage,both at Long Bin and at Cholon. Long Binh was touch and go. I was there from March until July.

When said alpha male threatened me, for having embarrassed him before the unit, I was transferred to Cholon, a small unit in Saigon’s Chinatown. There was no word on what happened to him. Sergeant First Class Hobson, the operations sergeant, just thought I’d be better off at Cholon. I was, as it happened. I had good friends there-Bill, Arnie, Richie, Roger. At Long Binh, I had been mostly an outsider.

I spent four days in Sydney, on a Rest & Rehabilitation leave, in September and spent much of that time with two sisters, who my buddy Bill had met, on his R&R, earlier. I was rather a rube, during those days, but I did enjoy my time with them and a visit to Tauranga Park. I also visited Vung Tau, a beach town, southeast of Saigon. We were told that the Viet Cong also used Vung Tau as a resort, but I basically stayed with a small group of other soldiers and met no trouble that day. Once, while I was still at Long Binh, my cousin Johnny came by, as he was stationed in the Mekong Delta and had an errand to run on the base. That was one of the best days in a rather miserable place.

In November, right after the guys threw a surprise party for my 21st birthday, I was given the chance to apply for early release, to return to college. I put in for it, got approval and my time in VietNam came to an end, with the new year.