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James Eugene Laird
Second Lieutenant
C CO, 3RD BN, 1ST INFANTRY, 11TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV, USARV Army of the United States Texarkana, Texas September 30, 1946 to March 23, 1968 JAMES E LAIRD is on the Wall at Panel 45E, Line 62 |
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Gene Laird and I grew up together on the same block in Texarkana, Texas from the time we were two years old. We enlisted together on the buddy system on 3 March 1966 and went through basic training together at Fort Polk and AIT at Fort Holabird, MD. We next went to Infantry OCS at Ft Benning, I was first and he arrived about 5 months later. The last time I saw him was a night in February, 1968 when we were both home on leave before going to VN. He had just finished Jungle Warfare training and was enroute to VN and I was headed to Jungle School and straight to VN from there. We said our goodbyes in my mother's driveway, shook hands, and never saw each other again. I arrived in country 23 March 68 and Gene was killed that very day. The night we said goodbye he told me he had a dream and that we were both killed in the dream by NVA troops. He said he knew we were never going to make it. He was right about himself but wrong about me. I think of him all the time and that night we said our goodbyes. I never got over it. God bless you, Gene.
From his best friend, |
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