I left LZ Bronco and the 11th Brigade and DEROSED at Cam Ranh Bay in late
August 1969, the same place I arrived a year earlier. I came in on a Flying
Tigers DC-8 stretch jet with no internal compartments, and went out on one.
The trip home was non-stop 18 hours to Ft. Lewis, and all we had were cold
hot dogs and warm Cokes, and those ran out quickly. I didn't know a plane
could stay in the air that long. The pilot made a circle around Mt. Rainer,
then got on the intercom and said, "You're home now, guys." It was deafening
inside the DC-8 after that announcement. I remember a group of us heading
for a mess hall for some real food, and saw guys in khakis and dress greens
doing KP duty. They were waiting for a flight to Vietnam, just like we had
done. Made me sick to my stomach, because I knew some of them wouldn't be
coming back on a Freedom Bird. I couldn't even look at them, even though
they were staring at us. You knew exactly what they were thinking.

Tony Swindell
Combat Correspondent
31st PID, 11th Light Infantry Brigade