Shot in the head Fred. Big Mo, Bernie

The 5th Warrant Officer Candidate Company reported for duty on July 4th, 1969. It's hard to believe that 40 years ago we were "called up on the hill" which was the term they used when all of the students reporting for flight school were actually taken out of the reception station and transferred to the billets to begin ground school.

We had a men in charge of us that we called tac officers. CW2 B.T. Diable was ours. He was already a Vietnam vet with a helicopter tour under his belt. He brought all that combat experience with him and commenced to educate us in all manner of things relative to preparing for war. He was an educator as oppossed to being a teacher and there is a difference.

We had some "high achievers" in that flight. Howard (Big Mo) Modjeski was a guy who managed to get everything right every time. He was so squared away it used to aggrevate us that he'd get 100% on almost everything he did while we had to work hard just to keep up.

Fred Thompson, Bruce Marshall, Doug Gjertson and James Miles were a few other guys that are worthy of note. Fred and Bruce flew gunships together and, as a coincidence, ended up in Big Mo's medivac ship when they were shot down.

Fred took an AK 47 round in the helmet. It entered the helmet at the right side of the helmet where there was a small protrusion that allowed clearance for the earmuff styled radio speaker. As a blessing to all of us who loved Fred so much, the round was slightly deflected and it's trajectory changed to a point where it "stayed inside the helmet" but in doing so, cut Fred from temple to temple. That's when he came up with the nickname, "Shot in the head, Fred".

Bruce was banged up too but I can't remember the extent of his damages except to say that the war ended for both of them on that day and both returned home to lead full lives.

James Miles was the old man of the unit and was somewhere around 34 when he began flight training. We lost James in Korea. There were too many others that we lost, too many to mention here but suffice it to say that we miss them all including Steve Larrabee, the California Kid.

In any event, I've been getting emails from the Big Mo and Bruce as well as Bernie. Lots of support and well wishes as well as a realization that I have it so much better than some who went before me.

It's all about perspective. My life now is clearly a life and death battle but it's damn sure not nearly as hard for me on a day to day basis as fighting in Cambodia. Funny how things always end up as a "comparative analysis".

So, while Tim Jr and Kristin are driving back to Norfolk, Virginia and I'm waiting to have the pictures of Waylon, Lisa and Cathy transferred to the blog, I just wanted to give a shout out to Big Mo and the guys and tell ya'll how much I appreciate the well wishes AND the acknowledgements that making mental gun runs and maintaining a postive mental attitude IS a part of what this is all about.

You guys are the best of the best and your input is very well received and applied as crew members who help me hit the targets.

Thanks again for the back up. I know you "have my six". Sorry about leaving out so many of the guys who didn't make it back. Jimmy Dunnavant and I went all the way through basic and flight school together and I think about him every year.

Thanks people and thanks for the comment section on the blog. ,

Tim sr.