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LZ: New Mexico (photos coming soon)"Flying across the canyons and mountains of New Mexico, I realized how far we had come. We had been to the ocean, over the Plains, across the Mississippi, the seasons had changed, but more importantly we had changed. The magnitude of the mission was echoed in the splendor of the beautiful nation below us.We had seen so much healing. And heard so many sacred stories as we crossed the country". Reaching New Mexico was bittersweet. It marked both the accomplishment of our mission, and its end. But where better than the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to make our final landing. And when better to do it than Veterans Day? "As we came into Rio Rancho, flying into the park, I remember seeing the American flag flying, and I said to myself, this is what it's all about." For infantryman Earl Watters, 091’s arrival was the opportunity to “bring a lot of boys home.” Watters coordinated the Landing Zones in Rio Rancho and Angel Fire with military precision and unmatched personal passion. As he introduced Perry Tillman and Nathan Villagomez, whom he had pulled out of a crashed Huey at 19, Earl shrugged off those who called him a hero. “The people on The Wall—they’re the heroes,” he said. From the Guestbook:"On November 10,2002 I attended a LZ event in Rio Rancho, NM at the urging of my friend and fellow Viet Nam warrior Earl Watters of C, 1/8th Cav, 1st Air CAv Div. Earl coordinated this and the Angel Fire, NM LZ events. While in the Landing Zone and awaiting the the arrival of the Huey I was strick by the peace, unity, brotherhood and sisterhood that emitted from the crowd. Most veterans were wearing their unit colors, insignias, badges, awards and decorations and some Cavalry Troopers wore their Stetson Cavalry hats with their unit insignias affixed to the center of the hat; and a few had the American flag and the POW/MIA flag flying from their Harleys. When we heard the sound of the Huey approaching the LZ there was immediate excitement and the mood changed form a carnival-like atmosphere to one of joyous reverance. For an Airborne Infantryman like myself and others who served in any capacity that took them away from their base camp; the Huey was your way into and out of battle, the means by which the wounded and dead were extracted from dangerous places, it was your mail man bringing precious letters and packages from home, it was your lifeline bring much needed ammunition, water, food, and other supplies; and for many it was our transportation out of a combat zone to the beginning of our trip home... When the Huey came into sight the crowd erupted in cheers, whistles and shouts. This excitement and celebrations continued until it had landed and the rotor blades stopped turning. That moment caused me to reflect on my life as a soldier and my life in general. I thought of my buddies that did not come home and those who came home who but never left Viet Nam behind. I thought of family members who had lost their loved ones in the Viet Nam and the children of fathers who did not return home alive or at all... LZ Rio Rancho was the first significant Veterans Day event that I have participated in since I left active duty many years ago. It was a tremendiously therapeutic and happy experience for me. I got to see three buddies form C, 1/8th Cav that I had not seen in 36 years. That was a wonderful reunion that reconected me to all joys and horrows that war sends one through; yet the most overwhelming feelings were the peace, comfort, and brotherhood that we felt as we sat on the right side of the Huey. That was the same side of a Huey that Perry Tillman and Nathaniel VillaGomez were riding on March 13, 1966 when it crashed due to enemy fire as they were about to land in a hot LZ. They both were wounded and Perry has not walked since the crash... These and many other thoughts and rememberences came to mind at Rio Rancho. I finally could begin to acquire a sense of peace about being alive when many of my buddies and fellow soldiers lost their lives. I realized that I should honor their sacrifices and contributions. I could finally feel happy to be alive and began to realize that the best tribute that I can make to our fallen military men and women is to live a life of dignity and honor. "We were engaged. My parents didn't know about it. They didn't want me to get engaged because they knew that he was going to Vietnam and they knew how things were out there. But I still did it because I loved him." The entire marine squadron had been wiped out. The bodies were loaded onto the helicopter, stacked on on top of another. Suddenly, someone on the grim duty crew cried out. "Hey, we got one alive here!" Back in El Paso, Texas, the young fiance of one of the marines was pulled from her high-school class. Henry's parents had been told he'd been killed, but, worried about Mary, they decided to tell her he'd been seriously wounded. In a few days, they thought, they would inform her of his death. But Henry Padilla was alive. Mary spent most of her senior year doing homework at bedside. "You're free to marry a man who is complete," Henry told her. To Mary, Henry was complete. "Love is not a burden," she says. "I thought that any action that might somehow, some way do some good must be done—and if an action would do some good, then I could not possibly overlook the opportunity to take that action." In the Sangre de Cristo mountains, the first memorial built to honor Vietnam’s fallen points toward heaven. Built on ground long believed sacred by Native Americans, the Vietnam Memorial at Angel Fire is a father’s gift to his fallen Marine son. 091 took founder Dr. Victor Westphal to a Veterans Day ceremony where many stories were shared, and a helicopter’s blades blew snow into the air like the Fire of Angels. In Memory Dr. Victor Westphall Dr. Victor Westphall, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, and the founder of the Vietnam Veterans Peace and Brotherhood Chapel and Memorial at Angel Fire. Dr. Westphall died in his sleep on July 22, 2003 at the age of 89. When his son David was killed in action in Vietnam, Dr. Westphall immediately began work on the first memorial honoring the war’s fallen “to the memory of my dead soldier son and as a gift to mankind with no strings attached.” In the decades since, Dr. Westphall has been on site most days to greet visitors, comfort veterans and families, and educate the public. From his pain, Dr. Westphall brought forth a great gift--a healing chapel reaching to the heavens from sacred ground. He will be missed... "The Army named its helicopters after the brave warriors who were fearless in battle. They called it the Iriquois. In Vietnam, we called it the Huey." Among those present for 091's Veterans Day Angel Fire Landing, World War II Navajo Code Talkers and Native America veterans of Vietnam. One, US Marine Ernie Dogwolf Lovato, blessed Huey 091 with sage and bells and dirt from the sacred land where she sat. "And the Huey was at rest, it looked very, very much in peace and it was awakened with prayers and singing and drumming. "Peace to the people that rode it. Peace to the people that flew it. Peace to the people that are not here... ....This end is the beginning of healing." Postscript: UH-1 "Huey 091" is now on permanent display in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. She served her veterans as faithfully in peace as she did in war.
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