Honoring a soldier

I am going to tell about a soldier, but first a little information about the type of units in Vietnam he served in.

He was assigned to an Army Cavalry unit, and that information requires more detail. The U.S. Army has air cavalry (helicopters) for conducting operations that require the rapid insertion of light infantry. The troops are inserted into an Area of Operations (AO), and while they are in that AO, they are resupplied by helicopters with food, ammunition, medical supplies, mail and anything else they need to complete the mission. At the completion of the mission, the troops are extracted by the same helicopters that inserted them. The Army also has another type of cavalry units. These are units that use armored vehicles to transport troops, ammunition and supplies into battle. They often have tanks to increase the firepower of the attacking U.S. units.

A soldier from Cape Girardeau served from 1969 to 1970 in an armored cavalry unit. I always thought being a ground pounder was preferable to riding in those big noisy rattling and lightly armored personnel carriers. Those vehicles made great targets for enemy soldiers with heavy machine guns or with rocket-propelled grenades.

Anyway, this soldier served his tour of combat operations and came home to Cape Girardeau. He was employed by Southeast Missouri State University in Central Receiving, and one of his jobs was to put tighter, very large bulk mailings. I met him while working at the post office where we received those large mailings. We worked together for several years. We were both infantry combat veterans of the Vietnam War.

Burt Lehman was a friend, a veteran, a friend, and a comrade. Burt passed away Nov. 10. He had earned my respect since he embraced his status as a veteran. He was a member and worked with VFW Post 3838, Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion. He participated in any and all activities to respect and provide aid and assistance to other veterans. His service to veterans helped innumerable veterans and their families. Cape Girardeau has lost an honorable and valued citizen who quietly served his country and his community. Rest in Peace, Burt.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.