Always good to get together with friends The Mixter and Hap Arnold here in San Diego; got in last night about 10:30 after one for the most annoying flights I’ve every experienced.
It seems that “heightened security measures” by the TSA involve repeatedly telling a plane full of people “passengers cannot gathering and block the aisles waiting to go to the bathroom.” Several timers from DFW to Denver one particularly annoying stewardess (yes I said it) acted like the older guy (with a prostate problem?) and the young father with an infant has box cutters… and forced them to return to their seats.
The punch line…she and her co-worker were blocking the aisle with a 50-pound beverage cart.
The has been a bad year… the funeral I’ll attend Wednesday (my 7th since November ‘09) is for Paul Rosenberg, a two-tour Army combat medic with CO. L [Ranger] 75th Inf., 101st Airborne in Vietnam where he he was awarded the Bronze Star among other decorations. Later he did eight years with Marine Corps ANGLICO and served in Panama.
Paul… “Doc Rosey”… was a man of great faith and humility, possessed of an irrepressible nature; the only man I never heard curse.
It was not a surprise he became a medic.
When on a roll, he could be devastatingly zany-funny; he loved and was loved by his friends. Though small in stature, he had a great heart, great warmth. When Paul arrived, everyone knew it in five minutes; nobody ever said, “I’d don’t remember him.”
He waged a great battle against myriad Agent-Orange-related illnesses and conditions; he didn’t complain. These made, well, everything more difficult… but, like the song says, he soldiered on.
His body finally gave out on him Dec. 31, but he was pressing forward when they got him.
Our small Central Valley town of Taft—little more than 10,000—lost 13 Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines in Vietnam, including Medal of Honor Recipient Sgt. Larry S. Pierce.
It was just a little more than a year ago that we gathered to say goodbye to another friend, Darrel Hildebrand, and we all had the opportunity to see Rosey again. The trip was hard on him, but he made it.
All hands (Vietnam/Vietnam Era vets) were on deck for Darrel’s wake… left to right: Larry Dillard, USN; Larry West, USA, Paul, USA/USMC; Lawrence Hildebrand, USAF; Richard Mixon, USN; Ray Abney, and myself, USMC; all 1966 graduates, Taft Union High School.
Wednesday we’ll gather once again, but we’ll be missing a man.
God speed, Doc.
My sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Rosenberg, and to all you guys who lost a friend.
Posted by: Bo | January 08, 2011 at 08:55 PM