Vietnam Babylift Personal
Stories
Herb Neeland
My name is Herb Neeland. I guess you would call this a re-connect story, or trying anyway.
Oh, first of all, yes, you have my permission to put this on your website. From Jan. of 71, to Sept,73 I was a Medic at Wilford Hall Medical Center. I worked Neurosurgery ICU, for nearly three years. During that time, and my memory is not that good, I worked with a young black man, from another floor. We lived in the same barracks. He may have been from Ohio, like me.
I was given orders to "Udorn, Thailand" in 73. I lost contact with this young black man. He was tall, and wore "Black frame glasses". He was obviously re stationed somewhere in SouthEastAsia. When the plane went down, obviously it was a shock to us all. I had been out of the AF almost a year, when sometime in 75, I picked up a magazine and read about this terrible plane crash.
They listed some of the names, and pictures of these brave Medics, and crew of the plane that went down. I saw my good friend. I stared, and just began to cry. I yelled out to anyone that was listening at my place of employment, "I know this kid"......Well, no one was really interested.
I sit here after finding this website of yours, and I nearly weep at the frustration of trying to think of the young man that I knew at Lackland AFB. If there are some old photos of this young man, or the crew, maybe I could pick out his face. I can see his face in my mind's eye as I write. He was Tall, thin, and wore black frame glasses. I believe it was written that he had broken his back, but had recovered. That, I believe is the truth in what I remember. It has been thirty one years since I have looked at whatever magazine this was. Maybe "Life Magazine".
If you could, would you please look, and see if you could find someone of this description. What a reunion it would be for me. Maybe for him too.....
God bless all of you for making such a wonderful site. And to the beautiful little babies, who have grown up, and become such wonderful "GIFTS", "God's Gifts" to whomever adopted them..................
Love and Prayers
Herb Neeland
Rogers, AR
72756
HerbLesRN@cox.net