Visit to 196th Infantry Comrade Thua-Mar 28

 It was an early morning, as Khanh picked me up at 6 AM to head south to Quang Nam province. His wife, Dr. Trang, and her father, Ha, made up our group. We veered off of Highway 1 to drop Trang off at Ni Hgnia Hospital, where she was giving a lecture. Then Khanh, Ha, and I continued on course to Thua's house, which was a couple more hours of driving. Living quite remote, his place is tough to find. Thua, as you may recall, fought with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade during the war. We surprised him with our visit, as we didn't have a means of giving advance notice. Other than failing vision, Thua is in exceptional shape for his age. As is customary, I provided vitamins and ibuprofen for my comrade and his wife.

 

Vitamins & Ibuprofen

 

 

Plus Some Treats, Of Course!

 

 

With Khanh interpreting, Thua was asked if he has any medical issues, other than vision, or specific needs. He responded that he's OK. I noted that chickens replaced the pigs in his livestock area. The reason is that a swine illness has hit Vietnam very hard.

 

 Khanh's father-in-law, aka Hudaman, had a good time during our visit.

 

Spirited Hudaman and Thua

 

 

I presented Thua with a significant gift, which was provided by his close friend and 196th Infantry comrade.

 

A Gift for Thua

 

 

 

 

 I gave Thua a 196th Light Infantry hat, which I had made several months ago.

A Hat for Thua

 

 

 After a nice visit, it was time to, once again, say goodbye. Thua and his wife are just wonderful, special folks. It's always tough to leave.

Brothers in Arms

                                                               Sadness in Goodbye

 After meandering a maze of small paths, we finally made it back to Highway 1, picked up Khanh's wife, and headed off for Hue.