I never knew my father and although I searched for him for may years I was unable to locate him until April of 2005 when I was notified by the Sonora CA Sheriffs Dept that he had been murderd. I will always regret not being able to know my father. I was blessed to have found in his belongings reports by the VA councelor he had been seeing. I grew up believing that my father did not care about my sister and I. I am happy to know that is not the case. I loved my father and still do. I know that he had a very hard life after he came back from Viet Nam. From what I have read in the reports I found my father suffered from what he went through while there. I know that life in the millitary is not an easy one. I am married to a Navy officer, we have 5 children and he is gone quite often for long periods of time. I keep a diary of the things he is alowed to tell me about so that our children will be better able to understand him and know what it was like for him in Iraq, Iran and the other places he has been deployed to. I am hoping that someone will read this posting and be able to help me. I have a few photos of my father and a few of my grandfather. Both were in VietNam. My grand father was there when he found out that my father had enlisted in the Army and was also being sent to VietNam. My grandfather requested to stay so that he could be there for my father. I really don't know much more other then my grandfather was in the 1st air calv. and that my father was processed out of the Army through Fort Lewis here in WA. If there is anyone that knew either Wesley "Buster" Bray (my grandfather) or my father, Richard Alan Bray, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. I would really like to know more about both of these men. I would also like to thank all of you that served our country. I know that many of you were treated very poorly when you came back and that many of you did not and have not gotten the respect and gratitude that you deserve. I do know how much you gave up, how much your families gave up and how much you all truely deserve. God bless you all and thank you for everything.
Julie Ann 🙂