Letter Number 9
D Spang
Hope,
I am sitting at my computer writing a letter that
Hope asked me to write a long time ago. I should be ashamed of myself for
not doing this a lot sooner.
I met Hope through her e-mail address that I
found on a Vets home page. That was the best day of my life. I am a
Vietnam vet that was there in the beginning. I served aboard the USS
Hancock from 61 to 65. We made, if not the first strikes against North
Vietnam, it was real close. I think our first strikes were in November of
'63. I was not in the thick of the battle like the men and women that were
actually incountry.
I have a friend, who was a Navy Seal during the Nam thing, and
even now has problems with the things he saw and had to do over there.
Through that wonderful woman all us Vets know as HOPE, I was witness to
one of the most beautiful experiences in my life.
I was talking to Hope
one night through an IM and was telling her about him. She
asked me his name. She wrote a very touching letter to him thanking him
for all he had done serving his country. She wrote it via e-mail through
me. I copied it and gave it to John the next time I saw him. You would
have to know John to appreciate his reaction. He is his own individual,
some people would call him a "biker type", whatever that means. When he
read the letter, he held it for a few seconds then finally held it out in
front of him and shook it and said, "FINALLY". He had tears in his eyes.
This my dear Hope is what kind of difference you have made in other
people's lives and the affects you have on them. I will love you to my
death for all you have done for Vets. You and I have talked a lot and have
shared our feeling for a lot of things. I hope and pray you will always be
part of my life. You have changed me. I will always be there for
you,
Dennis USS Hancock 1961-1965
This Page Established July 23,
1999
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