Originally Posted by
qcpmsame
Thanks for the pics and good story, Vic, god Bless her, and you, too. No reason we shouldn't interact with the people where we ride. I've met folks in our village's area I wouldn't have had the chance to speak with while out, its gotten to where some look for me to come by. Your story is heart warming, and a bit sad that more people don't at least reply to her.
One particular man is a retired Marine Senior NCO (all Retired Senior Enlisted Marines are called Top, as the senior NCO for your unit is always "Top xxxx", insert their last name.) He has some disability now, most likely a stroke from what I can tell as he's in a wheel chair and shows a lot of the tell-tale symptoms, I haven't asked yet. He and his wife always wave at me and I make it a point to call out Semper Fi, Top, as I ride past their home. When they see me out and they are in a vehicle they always honk and wave. I'm going to stop by when they are out and see if he's a member of the Marine Corps Association, if he isn't, all my back issues of "Leatherneck" magazine are coming to him. I believe I may give him a gift membership for Christmas, he's earned it with his service, and these guys are the men that made me a better man, way back when.
Bill
Some disabled vets from the Nam era still living in downtown hotels across the country too. I used to have a tenant in a hotel I ran, in downtown San Diego in the '70s, that was Special Forces (uniform still hanging in closet). He was a Navajo guy that had lost both legs to a Bouncing Betty booby trap. About the only visitors he had were the VA volunteers who would come by and pick him up for holiday diners at the VA or bring him a new beret (always a red one) when some clown lifted his out on the street. Last time I visited in San Diego in about 2000 or so I went by to see if he was still there and he was.