In 1968, the month of November began with the election of Richard Nixon to the White House. It was an amazing comeback for the former Vice President who had lost the presidential contest to Kennedy in 1960, as well as the 1962 California gubernatorial race.
During this month I spent a great deal of time studying for mid-term exams. In most of my classes these tests were administered before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
I still had Steve’s pillow on the double bed in my apartment. Although his scent was fading after all this time apart, it put me to sleep every night. Now I was really getting excited because there were only two more months left of this tour of duty. I could hardly wait until Steve would be home again in early February, 1969!
November 22, 1968, marked the fifth anniversary of JFK’s assassination. In 1963 I was a college freshman at Fresno State, and at that time we watched those horrific scenes on a small black-and-white TV in the “Rec Room” of our dormitory (Graves Hall).
Finally I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family at their vacation home in Laguna Beach. It was at least a 5-hour drive from Fresno, but by then I had become used to it. However, it took much longer with heavy pre-holiday traffic. Anyway for me, Laguna was a place to relax and enjoy quiet moments. I also liked to write letters to Steve there and remember all the good times we had together before he left for Vietnam.
I am a retired restaurant manager. My wife Jenny and I have been married for 50 years, have three grown children and two teen grand kids.
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My Vietnam Experience 