THE SON OF A VIETNAM VET..WOW WHAT A GUY>>MY DADDY

I first must salute you guys. No matter what was said to you through the years you did a great thing. My name is David Schunk and i was born may 19th 1976. Im 30 now, My dad is great. The best. I only wish i could have told him that. Christmas never missed me. Always the best for me. My dad worked for conrail in Toledo ohio and provided a good life for me and my mom. As i type this to you my eyes are teared. I choke up. When i was 5 my mom and dad devorced. and i didnt see him for a couple years. He was a drinker and smoked pot. When i was 8 he re-entered my life. He did so untill i was about 16. And then he was out of my life again. He would start drinking at 8-9 in the morning and go all day like that. When he would pick me up on the weekends we would go to the bar. I would get money for the pinball machines and all the pops and chips i wanted. When i turned 18 i hadent seen my dad for 2 years. It was like he didnt want me around. I met my wife when i was 17 and married her when i turned 20. He didnt come to my wedding because i didnt invite him. I remeber asking him about war since i was akid and he would say" not now but someday i will tell ya. I seen the scares on his back and neck and he told me what caused them but never any detail. After i got married i became successfull somewhat and was doing great. I had a child when i turned 25 and things where going great. I resented my father during this time. I dont know how he got my address but he showed up one sunday and looked good. He said "hey Dave, am i a grandpa?. I said yes and cried. We spent some time together and at the end of the night he asked me for a loan because he couldnt pay his rent, he lost his job at conrail because he was caught drinking on the job. I gave him a 1000.00 check and told him that was the least i could for him. And we talked for like 2 months and then poof. Nothing after that. So comes the day. My mother comes to my home and knocks on my patio door and my wife says "Its your mom and shes crying" I came to the door and opened and she said " Im sorry Davey, "Your dad died" I was so just blown away. I never had a chance to tell him i love you. I WENT TO HIS HOUSE AFTER WITH MY MOM and found out he was getting 2170.00 from the govt. for dis. and was doing well for the last 2 yrs. I never thought i would find what i always wanted to know. HIS LIFE IN VIETNAM. He had 2 purple hearts and a bronze star as well as other medals. he never showed me any of this but he talk once about them. He had a notebook in there as well, like a diary. In the pages he told his experiance..Im going to tell you guys word for word what i read. If you can tell me what some of this means this would be great. I get most but some things a confusing.THis is from his journel word for word....""""VIET NAM WAS A VERY BAD PLACE TO BE. GOING WEEKS OR LONGER WEARING THE SAME CLOTHES AND NOT BATHING. HAVING LEACHES ON YOUR BODY. BEING SHOT AT EVERYDAY. WATCHING YOUR FRIENDS COME AND GO. SOME GO HOME AND SOME GET HURT OR DIE. I WENT VIETNAM ON MAY 13TH 1968. I WAS IN THE AMERICAL DEVISION COMPANY A 1-20-11TH LIB. I WAS A GRUNT. MY JOB WAS TO BE IN THE FIELD AND SEARCH FOR FOR VIET CONG OR NORTH VIETNAMES SOLDIERS. MOST OF OUR MISSIONS WERE CALLED SEARCH AND DESTROY. MY M.O.S WAS 11-13 WHICH IS LIGHT WEAPONS INFINRTY. IN AUGUST 1968 IN SOUTH VIETNAM WE WERE OUT ON A NIGHT SNAKE(AMBUSH) WE TOOK TURNS IN OUR COMPANY GOING OUT. WE WENT ONE SQUAD PER NIGHT WICH ABOUT 8 OF US, WE WERE IN A FREE FIRE ZONE. NO SAVILLIANS WERE TO BE IN THAT AREA. WE APPROCHED A GRASS HOOTCH THAT WAS OCCUPIED AND SOME NOISE WAS BEING MADE. THE COMPANY COMMANDER ORDERED US TO GRENADE THE GRASS HOOTCH. WE DID AND REATURNED IN THE MORNING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. WE KILLED SMALL CHILDREN AND OLDER PEOPLE AND SOME ANIMALS. ON OCT 8, 1968 IN SOUTH VIETNAM A FRIEND I HAD MADE IN VIETNAM STEPPED ON A LAND MINE HIS NAME WAS JIM LONG. HE WAS KILLED AND I WAS WOUNDED. I WAS HIT IN THE LUNG WITH SHRAP METEL AND MY LUNG WAS COLLAPPSED. I WAS SENT TO CAMP ZAMA JAPAN. 107TH FIELD HOSPITAL. I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD PROBABLY GO HOME BUT AFTER A FEW MONTHS I WAS SENT BACK TO VIETNAM. I WAS GIVEN A PROFILE NO MORE FIELD DUTY. I WAS ASSIGNED TO DRIVE A TRUCK. IN APRIL OF 1969 I WAS RIDING IN A TRUCK ON A CONVOY ON HIGHWAY 1 I WAS JUST NORTH OF DUCPHO. THAT WAS WHERE OUR BASE CAMP WAS. IT WAS CALLED L.Z BRONCO WE DROVE INTO AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AMBUSH. A BULLET CAME THRU THE WINDSHIELD AND HIT ME IN THE JAW. I WAS ALSO HIT WITH A LOT OF GLASS FROM THE WINDSHIELD I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THE BULLET DIDNT BREAK ANY BONES IN MY FACE. IT LOGED IN THE BACK OF MY NECK JUST UNDER MY SKIN. I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL IN CHU LAI FOR TREATMENT. ON MAY12TH 1969 I WENT HOME". I never thought my dad went through something like that. After i read this i cried and my wife cried. He was a great man, and a great dad.. And to the VIETNAM VETS I SAY """THANK YOU""..MY DAD WAS ALFRED E SCHUNK III..AKA AL