@braveheart21 I feel your grief, First in many times Many myself. I hated losing anyone and thank God I had the burden of just a small team.
I could not in all fairness do what you did sending thousands in and waiting and wondering how they faired. I always joked with the pilots about why the hell they got the round-trip ticket, and we had to get out mid-way when the flight started. Being the tip of the spear was my gift/calling and all jokes aside I realize thousands of guys and gals behind us got us to where we needed to poke the tip into.
@WillaKissing early 80s i left many friends and comrades in icy water graves in the South Atlantic... Writing those letters home is a real hard job... As seniors we are not supposed to feel it and keep a blank face... Damned hard telling fathers mothers wives and kids a loved one isnt coming home ☹☹☹
@braveheart21 Being a small unit senior NCO I know and returning and going to the wives and families was terrible.
I had one junior NCO to make the Army a career becoming a senior officer's aid (Pentagon) and he died of brain cancer. The last time I spoke with him just prior to his death I told him I was flying out to see him and his family. He asked me not to, to just remember him as he was, he wanted a different career choice for his teenage son (Only) child, and that it was better him having the cancer and dying then me because I could not handle it. He was my closest contact and as his mentor that killed me inside, But I honored his dying wishes.
