Ghosts

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Niner
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Ghosts

Post by Niner » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:07 pm

A friend of mine who hosts a website for the 3/506, 101st, Vietnam, sent me this forward of an email sent to him. This friend has written a book including memories gathered of all the KIA from the battalion during the conflict in Vietnam. He sells the book but offers copies free to the next of kin of those he writes about. He got this email from one woman. I leave out her full name and the full name of the person she is talking about for obvious reasons. The text of the email is as follows:

Hope you remember me. My name is Susie.......xxxx... and my cousin Bob was killed in Vietnam. Recently you emailed me about your new book. My aunt Phyllis (Bob's mom), called me this morning and asked me to come and see the book you had sent her. What a beautiful and sensitive book. I plan on buying a copy.

You had asked me about Bob's wife, Cis and their son. The addresses you have are correct. I haven't had contact with Cis for years. I like Cis very much but wasn't really involved in her life once Bob was gone. I guess the connection bob and I have is based more on childhood years. I feel a physical attachment to him that is hard to explain. It is the same feeling I have for my kids and husband.

I do have two more pictures of Bob in Vietnam but my scanner is not working. As soon as I am able to buy a new scanner I will send them to you.

Jerry, I would like to tell you something that I have only told my husband and kids. I never mentioned it to Phyllis because I wasn't sure how she would react. I don't want you to think I am a nut case...because I'm not. The day after we found out Bob was dead...before his body was sent home...I started to get "visits" from him. This would happen when I was sleeping. I knew right away that these were not just normal dreams. There was one night in particular that proved this to me. I was "dreaming" about him. We were having a conversation about when we were kids. I woke up. The full moon was shinning in the bedroom window. I raised up on my elbows. There, in silhouette, was Bob sitting on the end of my bed. I couldn't see his eyes, just his profile. He was staring out my bedroom window. He never spoke (with his mouth), but I could hear his voice. He was lost, confused...and so sad it was almost unbearable. I thought I would literally die with the pain I was feeling... his pain. I remember saying to myself, "my God, I am awake, I am awake and Bob is here, and Bob is dead". That was the last nite I ever dreamed about him. Now, I believe there is some kind of life after death. I believe in a higher power. I am not a religious nut. I don't know why I feel the need to tell you this, but I do. There were probably 30-40 times he talked to me in my dreams. This was the only time I know I was completely awake. I would be so depressed in the mornings because even though the memories we were sharing were nice, there was an overwhelming sense of sadness each morning. That is the main reason I never told Aunt Phyllis about the visit. I couldn't tell her about it without telling her about his pain, and I couldn't do that to her. There is one more thing. As he sat on the bed, I could see he had a mustache, which he never had at home. After his body arrived at the funeral home his dad went down there to view the body. Bob had a mustache and Uncle Jim asked the funeral director to please shave it off before the viewing as nobody was used to seeing him that way. I feel now that Bob is at peace. When I think about that nite I saw him in my room, I can still feel the pain.

I guess I have been thinking a lot about him lately. His birthday is in a few days. Sometimes when I am having a bad day and feeling sorry for myself I think of Bob and realize at least I had the opportunity to live my life and be happy, his chance at that was taken away. I am blessed with a husband who loves me and three wonderful kids. I have six grandkids who are the joy of my life. All these things Bob never had a chance to enjoy.

Thank you for writing that book and may God bless you always, Susie

ps..I am attaching a recent picture of my grandkids...my reason for getting up in the mornings
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Post by Aughnanure » Tue Oct 03, 2006 12:57 am

This is also a ghost story and from a source that I would never doubt.

Colin, the person who told me, has been a friend since our days in training in Japan before going to Korea.

He told me this one night in 1960 in the comfort of his lounge room in London.

He was in the Essex Regt when I first met him and he had this experience when returning home with his battalion.

They travelled by ship, as one did in those days, (bring 'em back !) and

had a stopover in Hong Kong.

My friend went ashore and after looking at the sights wandered into a beer hall (as one tended to do). He spotted a member of his battalion and was about to leave as he didn't know the fellow at all well and the particular person was known to have associations with the London 'undergworld' (not the railway), but he looked up and beckoned my friend over, so he joined him.

After a while he said to Colin that he was worried and Colin thought "Here goes another 'Dear John' no doubt" but simply said "What's up?"

He told Colin that he had been worried by an experience that he'd had the previous winter. He said that he'd been on guard in the camp at ???? and was next to a particular building when he sat down on the steps to have a quiet smoke (who hasn't had a quick puff on guard?). He thought he must have dozed off because he looked up and there was an officer standing in front of him. Startled he thought "I'm gone now, smokin' on guard" but before he could scramble to his feet he noticed that the officer was in summer dress......

Colin said to me "By this time the hair was standing up on my neck for I had had the same experience".

Colin said to his companion "...and he smiled at you, and said nothing, and he was wearing a pistol and had his binoculars and map board on his chest".

"Yair, an' then he disappeared an' I hoped that I'd dreampt it".

There was mutual relief as both had been worried by the experience.

The next day back on the trooper they got talking to the RSM, (RSMs become human on the way home) and asked him what the particular building had been used for. His reply settled the matter for them. "It used to be the Morgue".
Self Defence is not only a Right, it is an Obligation.

Eoin.
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