https://i.imgur.com/NBO2aMJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QHEnAVH.jpg

Some time ago, in some post or other on here, I said I'd share the story of my new family and how come they all look kinda Vietnamese, while I look kinda not Vietnamese. Since we're pretty much family here,....

It all started when I had turned 17 just before Christmas of 1964. I was not a very good kid, not bad, just not good. And I skipped a lot of school. Hey, it was Florida and we lived on Fort Myers Beach. And I liked girls and had a car. Back in those days, IIRC, one could miss 40 days but more than that resulted in starting the same year over again. I was a Senior in February of '65, but got caught skipping and with the 5 days suspension they were gonna give me for that, I was over my 40.

No way was I gonna start over as a Senior!

Grandad was a WW1 Marine and all I ever wanted to be was a Marine. I could do the manual of arms with a Springfield 1903 at 5 (toy gun) and with a real one in my early teens.

So, I set out to join the Marines. I hitchhiked into Fort Myers, (car was wrecked, accident appeared in the paper and that's how the school caught me), and above the Drug Store on First & Lee were the recruiting offices. I got there at 8 but the recruiter never showed up. All the other recruiters were sympathetic and some tried to entice me to join their branch but I wanted to be Marine. The Army guy finally sat down with me and told me the Marine had never failed to show before and that his calendar showed nothing. About 2 in the afternoon, I joined the Army. Had to go home and get Mom's signature, but brought it back the next day and on February 20, 1965, I was in.

By August 7th, I was headed to Vietnam, and in October the government decided 17 year olds oughta be out of harm's way. I only had two months to go till I was 18 and one of the officers helped me avoid deportation.

I was not yet a Christian, though I had been raised in a Bible-preaching church. And, did I say I liked girls? I noticed the Marines liked girls and sex and discovered they'd go to the third hut (this is an example) on the left and get in the short line. when they got to the door and were allowed entry, there were two Vietnamese men inside and a girl or woman behind a blanket hung from the ceiling. One of the men got the $ and the Marine got his shot with the woman.

Not me! I was afraid my little thing would rot off. But I became acquainted with a woman, a few years older than me, who was what we called a Hootch Maid in Quang Ngai.

One thing led to another and I learned some things at about 18 yoa that I sure didn't know before. I liked her a lot and wrote my Mom about her but Mom shocked me by threatening to remove me from the family if I brought her home. I caved and, after 18 months in country, I went home.

Nine month later, I was back, this time in Hue and Phu Bai. And I met another girl and liked her, too. Deja Vu all over again.

Another year later and I went home, was discharged, back to Fort Myers Beach and started as a police officer. Almost 11 years after I left for Law School, having gotten my GED in the Army and an Associates, Bachelors and Masters degrees during that time as a police officer.

I married, divorced, had a son, married the wonderful Nurse Practioner I am still married to and lived in Pinellas County. I taught at the Police Academy, a local college, became a Christian and have taught Adult Sunday School for 25 years.

Then, one Saturday morning, in February, 2022, the doorbell rang and a Postman handed me a Registered letter from some woman I never heard of in Pennsylvania.

I tossed it to my wife and she opened it and I heard some "Uhhhh, Uhhhh, Uhhh...sounds. she said I better look at this. The letter was from a Vietnamese lady in PA who, making a very long story short, told me she'd taken a DNA test, located one of my brothers and his son in Fort Myers and then me. She also mentioned she'd found a sister she didn't know she had. she concluded saying I was her Daddy and she'd looked for me for many years and if I wanted to call her, she gave me her number.

I called her immediately and we started a relationship one can only dream about. Over a few phone calls, she mentioned the sister again and I asked who her Daddy was. ME!

One was the daughter of the gal in Quang Ngai who, sadly. had died several years earlier and the other, the one who wrote me, was the daughter of the gal in Phu Bai. But the gal who first wrote me still had her mother and she lived with them in PA.

Again, to shorten a long story my wife and I were thrilled, we have been to PA and Texas to visit and they've been here a couple of times. I have two daughters, two son-in-laws, six grand children, five have wives, and six great-grandchildren and am probably the most blessed guy you know. My wife and my son had no problems, nor did my Pastor or my Adult Sunday School Class.

Two grandsons are CPAs, one is a Lieutenant on Philly PD and one runs some auto body shop in NJ. One grandson is at Drexel in Philly and the granddaughter just graduated from UPenn and is planning to start medical school.

Did I mention I am a proud Dad, Grandad, and Great-Grandad?

Bob

This message has been edited. Last edited by: straightshooter1,

Blessed

And, I've lost most of that belly you see in the pics. Makes me purtier!

Bob

Bob, my friend, your are indeed blessed, sir. Beautiful family, but why the men are separated from the ladies?

Great looking family, Bob. Thanks for sharing the story and pictures.

Now THAT's what I'd call an Extended Family...And quite a legacy!

You brightened my day!

Q and Arfmel, you already knew the story, and never said anything till I was ready. Thanks, my friends.

And, Q, I think they are separated 'cause there's just too darned many of them for one picture.

Thanks to the rest of you for your positive comments.

Bob

Wow. Just WOW!

Congratulations Bob

Beautiful story. Happy y’all found each other and are part of each others lives. The damn internet is in fact good for something.

You drove me dizzy with your story,
It was a short trip


Seems you got a handle on the whole family concept.

A comment. I almost didn’t open this thread because the title was all-caps. Maybe more people would’ve read your wonderful post if the title had been “My family”.

Excellent story! Thanks for sharing and congratulations.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
A comment. I almost didn’t open this thread because the title was all-caps. Maybe more people would’ve read your wonderful post if the title had been “My family”.

Come on, Debbie. Really?

I changed it, really didn't think anything about it when initially typing the title.

I've never done a post in all caps and realize caps has come to mean the poster is shouting-another thing I never do in life (okay, rarely do).

I don't think the title in caps is a big deal, but I suppose there may be others who are almost offended by it and I try not to offend others without cause.


Bob

That is a wonderful story Bob. Thanks for sharing it.

That is just outstanding! Congratulations on a fantastic family.

Wow! What an outstanding story. Some surprises are big, some are small. I think you got the lion's share of them all!

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
A comment. I almost didn’t open this thread because the title was all-caps. Maybe more people would’ve read your wonderful post if the title had been “My family”.

Come on, Debbie. Really?

Why the “Debbie” insult in such a happy thread?