From Our Classmate John Runyon
For my classmate Mike Ryan, “Doc” Strusinki`s simple, honest account of his year in country from Aug `67 to Aug `68 brought to me a stark reminder of our combat guys` courage and sacrifice. The`re our “greatest generation” members, like the heros of WWII.
Forest Lake is home to American Legion Post 225 and George Bonfe, who was an active supporter., Their event two days ago was much too big for me to make inquiries about some kind of memorial centered on George and Mike (Not to mention agent orange victims Frank Lentsch,Tom Hollihan, and others .) But the panel discussion surely enlightened folks like me who didn’t experience the Viet Nam War firsthand, but reading the pages of “Doc”Strusinski`s book afterward, will take you there with Mike Ryan.
Now a band of brothers, avoiding tripwire trails to instead push through snake and VC ambush brush, are themselves on night ambush patrol to “seek and destroy” the enemy. Each doesn`t know if he`ll take a bullet, grenade or mortar round before his personal daily countdown to exit this mess, but this night their lives depend entirely on each other, and leaving no one behind.
That`s what Mike Ryan did. His citation for combat valor doesn’t say it, but I`m told he was shot while attempting to drag one of his wounded soldiers into cover after an ambush. His bravery that day left him paralized from the waist down for life, and what he did with the rest of his life was even more amazing.
This day March 29, VietNam Veteran`s Day, is the occasion two days ago, for the memorial at American Legion Post 225 in Forest Lake, so fitting for our Class of `63 because that`s George Bonfe`s home, another `63 wheelchair bound Veteran who`s personal grit matches Mike Ryan. With their examples, I sure know to “not sweat the small stuff”.
Below is my brief summary of the Post 225 event Sunday last–
Veteran`s event at Forest Lake Legion Post 225 was very impressive.
Arriving 5 minutes beforehand, I had to park a block and a half away because cars overflowed the lot, the room, (maybe 400 capacity) was packed, and they ran out of programs.
I found one of the last seats, next to a lady who had lost her husband to multiplecancers from Agent Orange. We had guys like Frank Lentsch and Tom Hollihan who made it home without the massive injury that Mike Ryan and George Bonfe overcame, yet succumbed too early to the aftermath of their military service.
Bill Strusinski, a Nam Combat Medic, moderated a panel discussion of two army nurses and three wounded soldiers who had been medevacked to forward hospitals. The discussion was easy at first, but gradually many of us in the audience with dim memories awoke to the tragedy and devotion to duty so vivid in the vignettes they shared.
WOUNDED IN WAR was the program title Bill ably moderated, because he wrote the book “Care Under Fire” partly as therapy 50 years after his tour of duty. You could tell, listening to the nurses and medevacked soldiers yesterday, that the big memories had hardly faded. I thought of Mike Ryan and the courage under fire which cost him so much.
Bill Struskinsi was signing books afterward, and when my turn came, I briefly told him about our two amazing classmates who showed such bravery, family dedication and community service AFTER their time with the Army. He signed the inside:
“To George Bonfe & Mike Ryan, who gave their legs to benefit us all. You know how to turn adversity into something positive” Reading that later, I thought “into something awesome“
So I started the book last night and couldn’t put it down. Awaking this morning I found it beside the bed and couldn`t let it go again. It’s a simple honest read punctuated occasionally by some stark tragedies of guys he couldn’t save. How does a Combat Medic forget one of his wounded brothers dying in his arms? In the book Bill says that it was “relatively easy to compile because many incidents are as fresh in my mind today as if they had occurred yesterday— not fifty years ago”
The personnel PTSD Bill helped cleanse with this book surely brings into focus the double whammy, physical and mental, amazingly overcome by guys like our wounded veteran classmates. I couldn`t stop reading till finishing all 211 pages this afternoon.
I escaped unscathed by serving 6 years in the National Guard, which pales by a new understanding of Mike Ryan`s Vietnam “blood, sweat and tears.” Maybe Forest Lake Post 225, but somewhere, its time to again honor these guys. And Tomorrow, Tuesday March 29th, is VietNam Veterans Day—-
“We will hold you dear forever, for the memory of your sacrifices nurtures the spirit of our nation.”
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