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Vietnam
Helicopter Pilots Association Washington State Chapter |
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August 13, 2005 Special Forces PicnicBy Doug Decker I received directions by mail on Saturday about noon, which was the start time of the picnic. So I was a little late in getting there especially with the very slow traffic from Tacoma to Hwy 18. Should have gone around via Puyallup. There was still some food left and my cold salad & dip tray was soon attacked. The active duty Special Forces NCOs had an impressive array of weapons, support equipment & communications gear on display. There were also hand-to-hand maneuvers demonstrating karate-type fighting by several individuals followed by a group fight. Children ran around all over the place and blankets were laid out on the grass under the trees next to the airfield runway. Several planes took off and landed during the time I was there, a great day for flying. Also a yellow SNJ-4 was parked in front of the house as a flyable display point. I saw “Capt. Ron” Rismon our host for this event. His hanger is full--containing a display of trophy animals, tusks and more than I recognize. A great bar was set up and an honor display case was set up to honor a member by name with a folded flag as well as all who have served. I didn’t get to meet Capt. Ron or a good photo of him but he is a striking tall man. The great individual that I did meet was a special man indeed. He is the recipient of the first Congressional Medal of Honor for the Viet Nam wartime. As then Capt. Roger H.C. Donlon, was the leader of the Special Forces camp at Nam Dong in the highlands of I Corps near the boarder and on the Ho Chin Minh trail. A large force attacked his camp and his small force held out against an 800-900-man attack force. The book I bought is very interesting and part of the proceeds go toward a donation to educational scholarships dedicated to fostering reconciliation between the American and Vietnamese people. Roger retired as Colonel Donlon, USA (Retired) with the C.M.H. He is also well involved in many programs to foster understanding of the Vietnam war. One of these is the Texas Tech Vietnam Center. I couldn’t put the book down and had to read it this weekend. I was hoping to make it last a few days. Colonel Donlon is also a friend of General Pat Brady. A few photos are included of the event. (See photos section) Doug Decker
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