Rotary Minute

Our speaker last Thursday was Mr. Ed Hamil who told his own story who as a 19 year old Marine volunteered to go to the jungles of Vietnam to fight the war against the communist regime of North Vietnam.

Ed spent 15 months in the jungles of Vietnam. His powerpoint titled Remember Our Freedom is an introduction and historical review of how our Country fought for our own freedom against the British. He then segwayed into the history of the Vietnam War and who were the supporting outside nations involved in the conflict. Many of his personal photos reflected the Vietnamese peasants planting and harvesting rice. He described the Ho Chi Minh Trail which was an elaborate system of jungle trails on top of a mountain range which the North Vietnamese with support from China used to supply their Communist troops. In addition to the trails, the Communists built tunnels where the North Vietnamese hid. Ed carried plastic explosives which were used to blow up the entrances to tunnels.

In one poignant photo, Ed shows his unit crossing a river with their rifles held high over their heads. He described how the leeches attached to your body and how troops used cigarettes to burn off the leeches.

He closed his presentation with a reminder that over 58,000 U. S. soldiers died in Vietnam and over 1500 soldiers are still missing in action today. Ed carries a photograph of his three best friends who did not survive the war as his daily reminder of how blessed he is to have survived.

Ed has a strong faith as a result of his war experience and is a monthly supporter of the Cherokee Children’s Home.

Respectfully submitted by Beth Griess