[at-l] Trail related & Re: Veteran's Day Part 2

[Carla & Dave Hicks]

Or "It's a small world."

Twice on the trail I met up with Vets from my past.

The most recent was on a rainy night in a crowded NH shelter when I met a SF 
guy I had work with in my "civilian" capacity.  We both knew each other well 
and recognized each other right off.  As I was SOBO & he was NOBO we exchanged 
little, except to acknowledge each other's presents, as there were too many 
others around.

The earlier incident was a guy that I had done crew trail work with for years. 
We had never swapped stories.  We never made the connection, until one work 
trip a new young guy join us -- an active service pilot.  He started asking my 
friend about his experiences.  After a while some of the worst-case stories 
started to come out.  As I sat there, eerier feelings and a flashback hit me. 
Finally, I joined in and asked something like, "That wasn't "x" date at "y" 
place, was it?"  It was.  He was the same pilot that saved my bacon many years 
before, in another life, in another world. And here we had know each other as 
fellow trail maintainers for more that ten years w/o ever making the 
connection.

It is a small world and there is a lot of history walking the trails.

Chainsaw

BTW -- Speaking of the AT & Veterans -- the Vet that I have the most pride in 
have work along side on the trail and of having known as a friend is "The 
Crazy One", himself.  Somehow it just seems right that the history of 
thru-hiking and of Veterans on the trail go hand-in-hand.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <bluetrail at aol.com>
To: <at-L at backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [at-l] Veteran's Day Part 2



Can't remember if I told this Veterans' story here before or not, but it IS 
trail related.

Some of the work done on the FT in the wilds of south Florida requires flying 
in by US Forest Service helicopter.  This saves having to backpack in and out 
a full day each way, carrying a lot of equipment.  To fly in the Forest 
Service chopper, you have to take a full-day course on how to be a passenger 
in a helicopter.

A few years ago two of those who had to take the course were:

A.  Chuck, who was a chopper pilot in Viet Nam

b.  Jon, who was Army SF in Viet Nam (and SF for a full 20 years) and jumped 
out of helicopters.

When I asked Jon about the course, I asked if he or Chuck said anything about 
their past experience.  Nope, not one word.  They just sat and took it all in. 
Jon was thrilled that he'd get to ride in a chopper again.

Thanks and gratitude to all those who served and are serving now.  Love those 
quiet heroes.

Joan, the Army Colonel's (Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes Forest, French Croix 
de Guerre) daughter









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