PUXICO, Mo. -- Glenn Green was just 19 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. It was 1970, and the Vietnam War was in full swing. After completing Advanced Infantry training at Fort Ord, Calif., he was on his way to serve as a radio operator in the unpopular Asian war as part of the 101st Airborne Division -- "Charlie Company."
The company was stationed at Camp Evans near the border -- the demilitarized zone (DMZ) -- separating North and South Vietnam. History would later state that Camp Evans was one of the most dangerous posts in which to be situated in South Vietnam. It was a far cry from Green's home -- the hills of Puxico.
Green was one of the fortunate who returned home from Vietnam, although admittedly not unscathed from the experience. Waiting for him was his wife, Clara, and a three-month-old son he'd never met named, Kevin Glenn. Glenn would go on to settle in rural Puxico, work and raise a family, and like the vast majority of Vietnam era veterans, he would rarely speak of the atrocities of the war.
And then one day there was a phone call.
"It was in April 2009," Glenn recalls. "Someone called and said they were looking for Glenn Green. I told him, 'You found him,' and he said he was looking for the Glenn Green who was in Vietnam in 1970 to 1971, and I told him if he was talking about the 101st Airborne that was me."
Green didn't recognize the caller's name at first, but shortly thereafter realized that Jim Rousche was the soldier in the 101st everyone simply called, "Roach." Glenn remembered "Roach" well.
"It had been 38 years since I'd heard that voice, so of course I didn't recognize it right away."
Rousche explained he was on a search, along with some others, to find members of the Charlie Company who served in Camp Evans in 1970-71. The purpose of the call was to solicit Green to join their ranks in coming together and joining in the "road home."
"The 101st Airborne's Division Headquarters is at Fort Campbell, Ky.," Glenn explains. "He asked if I'd join them for a meeting there."
Green was far from committed to the invitation. "I told Clara I'd go one time, and if we got along -- fine -- but if not, I wouldn't be going back."
"But it just took that one meeting, and he was forever reunited with his Band of Brothers," says Clara, now Glenn's wife of 47 years.
At the "meetings," which Clara says are much like a class reunion, the group gathers for a meal and ceremoniously pays tribute -- first to all soldiers from Charlie Company who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service in Vietnam -- and secondly to those who have died since the war.
"We mention each name individually," Glen explains.
Whether planned or not, the gatherings of the veterans, now in their late 60s and early 70s, have served another purpose. Gradually, after nearly half a century of shutting out the memories of Vietnam, they find themselves sharing some of those memories and finding that there is comfort in just knowing that they are not alone in their thoughts any longer.
Glenn Green's choked words tell it all.
"A lot of us had survival guilt," he says, with a cracking voice and watery eyes cast downward. "But, now we know that it wasn't our fault. It's helped a lot being with my buddies. I have people to talk things out. Nobody ever wanted to talk about it or knew how to."
Sometimes, Clara is Glenn's voice when describing the experience of meeting up with the men of the 101st.
"They're all like family," she says of the veterans and their wives. "When they get together, it's like a bunch of boys -- like they've known each other all their lives."
The Greens haven't missed one get together of Charlie Company since joining them in 2009.
The Mission of the Memorial Team
The C-506th, 101st Airborne Memorial Team -- about 15 strong as of this spring -- gathers at least annually. They gather with a mission to honor foremost the 21 men from "Charlie Company" whose lives were lost on the battlefields of Vietnam between Jan. 1, 1970, and Jan. 31, 1972. But, while their comrades are honored at those yearly gatherings, the real honor they bestow upon their fellow servicemen comes in a much more personal and well-executed display at the grave sites of the fallen Vietnam heroes.
Just over a year ago, five of the men traveled to Georgia to honor the first of the fallen. Now larger in numbers, they are on a mission to personally travel to various states to honor all of the soldiers from Charlie Company who gave the ultimate sacrifice -- 21 in all.
"Our goal is to pay tribute at each of the grave sites of those lost in battle," Green explains. "We honored seven of them in six states in one week last summer."
An album of photos from some of the ceremonies that have taken place across the country depicts the Memorial Team, all in identical shirts bearing the 101st insignia, gathered near the resting place of their fellow team members. In some of the photos, there are dozens of family members and friends of the buried soldier.
"We always let the family know we're coming," Glen says. "We've had as many as 100 show up. Often, the local VFW, television and newspaper reporters, and other service organizations show up, too, and sometimes the state patrol."
The ceremony, during which a handmade cross is laid depicting the unit, prayers are offered, and a wreath is placed, serves not only to honor the individual whose life was lost in Vietnam, but often for closure for the family.
"Many of these families never knew how their son, brother or father died. Sometimes, we have the opportunity to explain what happened all those years ago, and I can't tell you what that has meant to these families."
Finding the Lost
It has been no easy task to find all of the surviving members of Charlie Company, but the Band of Brothers stays steadfast in their search to locate them. Clara is admittedly the tech savvy member of the family, and the pair has been instrumental, through a series of Internet searches and emails, in locating three of the servicemen that had remained unfound.
"We tried for two years to local Ronny Middlebrook," Glenn explains. "We knew he lived in Memphis at one point, but we were spelling his name R-o-n-n-i-e, and we couldn't find him. We finally spelled it correctly, and I called and got his answering machine. That time, I knew the voice immediately, and I knew we'd found him. I left a message and within 20 minutes, he called me back."
Middlebrook is now also an active member of the Reunions and Memorial Team.
Why now?
Many times Glenn Green says team members are asked, "Why now?" by family members of those killed in action (KIA's) and people who are introduced to the Memorial Team's efforts. It's been 46 years since his fellow servicemen were killed in the line of duty.
"It's a hard question to answer," Green reflects of the team's mission. "but one of the team leaders, Gary Gilliam of Potosi, Mo., says it best of Charlie Company - we had to find ourselves, then we had to search and find each other, now it's time to pay tribute to the ones who gave all."
Glenn Green says if he could send a message to other Vietnam veterans, it would be "to reach out and search for your buddies."
"There are many ways to do that. Look at your orders and find a friend, locate via telephone, old addresses. Also check websites that relate to your company. There is also a Vietnam Veterans Association in Poplar Bluff - sometimes it just helps to talk things out."