I was very lucky in all respects during my Viet Nam tour and that continued to my DEROS and beyond. Because the Army had decided I should attend a school at Fort Knox that was to begin on my original DEROS date, they had to give me a ten-day drop in order to meet minimum home leave regulations. This meant that I arrived home on Dec 24, 1969 and never spent a Christmas over there.
I landed at McChord AFB in jungle fatigues with a set of khakis in my bag. My Class As had been lost or stolen from the Bien Hoa property storage area and there was no time for my wife to send my other set. I remember the asking friendly Customs Inspector at McChord where I should go after he was done with me and he said, "Son, you can go anywhere you want, you're home now." I was also lucky in that unlike enlisted soldiers; I didn't have to go to Ft Lewis to out-process.
So I changed into khakis in the men's room and took a bus from McChord to SeaTac Airport. I was keeping an eye out for MPs, who would have happily arrested me and taken me to Ft Lewis for being out of uniform. I stood in a long line to buy a ticket to Boston and finally reached the ticket agent. When I told him what I wanted, he asked if I had a reservation and when I said "No," he looked at me like I was crazy.
He asked if I realized it was late afternoon of 23 December and that half the world was trying to get home, that flights had been booked for weeks, etc., etc. Then he saw my ribbons and asked if I was coming from Viet Nam. When I told him I was, he said, "Don't worry, it may take awhile but I'll get you home for Christmas, I promise." And he did.
I took a seat close to the counter near a mother and her two young kids, obviously going through the same thing-waiting for a flight to open. I noted that although she was an older woman, my guess was around 27-28, she was still very attractive. The two kids were very young; probably around two and four and she had her hands full with them.
Her husband called over and asked her to come up to the ticket counter, so she plunked the kids down on the seats, piled their toys around them and told them to stay put. Of course, within 30 seconds they were off the seats and going in all directions so I rounded them up and played with them until she got back. She thanked me and we both went about our business of waiting.
I suddenly realized she was talking to me again, asking me if I was coming from Viet Nam. I said yes and she then asked me when I got back. My answer "About an hour ago" floored her. She saw my wedding band. "You're married", she said and "You'll be home for Christmas with your wife." She was clearly very happy for us and I was amazed at her interest in and concern for total strangers.
Her husband returned and she told him the whole story: "He's just back from Viet Nam; one hour ago. He's married and he'll be home with his wife for Christmas. Isn't that wonderful?" I'm sure he couldn't have cared less at that point but he agreed that was nice and they began gathering up their belongings. They had started to move away when suddenly, this beautiful lady turned back to me. Her eyes were big, round and wet with tears. "Thank you", she said, "Thank you very much."
Don Gourley
2-6, C-1/501
1969