Vietnam vets meet at reunion in Cape

They're friends because of shared history. They have the common blood of saving each other in times of real need. In 35 years, their system of values hasn't changed.

Vietnam veterans of Bravo Company, platoons 1, 2 and 3, gathered Saturday at John and Joyce Seabaugh's farm in Cape Girardeau for their fifth-annual reunion. John Seabaugh served in Bravo Company. The group of 23 came from around the nation: North Carolina, Florida, Iowa, Montana, California, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Montana and Missouri.

"Each year we see new ones," said John Heet of Jefferson City. He has attended all five reunions. "After 30 years nobody looks the same."

The first reunion was organized by Tim Wright Jr., who hadn't seen anyone in 30 years and was prompted by a phone call from Dave Serlick. They started talking about Dennis Keever. Serlick thought Keever had died when helicopter evacuating him for medical help went down.

One call led to another, and a networking of veterans resulted in 13 coming to the first reunion in 2000 held in Pennsylvania. It was the first time the group had been together since 1970.

Now, every year it gets bigger. At first it was just Platoon 1 members, but veterans of platoons 2 and 3, also part of Bravo Company, were sought out too.

"Me and Wright almost came to blows over who had the better platoon," said Tony Paulson of Platoon 2. "We were so competitive and evenly matched that it benefited everybody."

Wright believed that his platoon's success was due to exceptional performance demonstrated by courage, integrity and intelligence.

"It takes a smart person to survive in combat," he said. "Someone who could meet challenges and be analytical and when left independently, could make good decisions."

Retired from Wisconsin State Highway Patrol, Paulson said his life experience dealing with people and exercising leadership skills in his Vietnam years assisted him in private life. "In order to manage people you must first understand them," he said. "A lot of that was learned in Vietnam."

Wright believes support for soldiers in Iraq by most of the public is understandable because of the number of reservists that serve.

"Folks are seeing them as our sons or our daughters," he said. "When we went over there it was just active duty."

Paulson has noticed the difference between troops coming home now and in the 1960s too.

"Returning soldiers deserve the celebration, but we're all just a little bit jealous," he said.

cpagano@semissourian.com

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