Well, after I wrote the first two posts, as luck would have it I lost my username/password and couldn't figure out how to get back in and write more unforgettable prose. Huge loss to the world, I know, but I guess my techno-ignorance was showing.
Last week, I had a surprise from out of the blue which made me see the actual value of these postings, or at least potential value. I got a call from a young woman in California who happened across this blog because she was Googling Larry Engebretson, my childhood friend who was killed in Viet Nam in 1970. It seems that a friend of their family served with Larry, and that Larry volunteered to go out on patrol in this fellow's place the night he was killed. When they got the news that the patrol suffered casualties, this man was the one who found Larry's body. He's had to live with that horrific story for 39 years. He asked this young woman and her mother to help him locate Larry's family, as he wanted to contact them.
As it happens, Larry was not close to his extended family. His father died when we were in high school, and his mother died in the 1980s. I honestly think that I'm the closest living "survivor" that these folks could find. Anyway, from the blog, they found my website and phoned me last week. I spoke with the woman and got emails from her and her mother and told them I'd be glad to talk with their friend. He called me last Saturday.
We had a fairly brief and somewhat awkward, but generally good conversation. He gave me more details about Larry's death, and we agreed that if he ever gets to come here, I'll help him visit Larry's grave and spend some time with him. It might help us both.
Coincidentally, I wrote a song about Larry's de
ath not more than two or three months ago, called "Fly Away." Over the weekend, I found some old photos of Larry, and converted some old 8mm home movies to digital video. I think I'll make a DVD of the photos, do a demo recording of the song, and use it as a soundtrack. Who knows? Bottom line, all of this made me think about my old friend a lot over the past few days. Actually, there are few days that I don't think of him at least in passing, but I've done a lot of reminiscing lately.
Last week, I had a surprise from out of the blue which made me see the actual value of these postings, or at least potential value. I got a call from a young woman in California who happened across this blog because she was Googling Larry Engebretson, my childhood friend who was killed in Viet Nam in 1970. It seems that a friend of their family served with Larry, and that Larry volunteered to go out on patrol in this fellow's place the night he was killed. When they got the news that the patrol suffered casualties, this man was the one who found Larry's body. He's had to live with that horrific story for 39 years. He asked this young woman and her mother to help him locate Larry's family, as he wanted to contact them.
As it happens, Larry was not close to his extended family. His father died when we were in high school, and his mother died in the 1980s. I honestly think that I'm the closest living "survivor" that these folks could find. Anyway, from the blog, they found my website and phoned me last week. I spoke with the woman and got emails from her and her mother and told them I'd be glad to talk with their friend. He called me last Saturday.
We had a fairly brief and somewhat awkward, but generally good conversation. He gave me more details about Larry's death, and we agreed that if he ever gets to come here, I'll help him visit Larry's grave and spend some time with him. It might help us both.
Coincidentally, I wrote a song about Larry's de
ath not more than two or three months ago, called "Fly Away." Over the weekend, I found some old photos of Larry, and converted some old 8mm home movies to digital video. I think I'll make a DVD of the photos, do a demo recording of the song, and use it as a soundtrack. Who knows? Bottom line, all of this made me think about my old friend a lot over the past few days. Actually, there are few days that I don't think of him at least in passing, but I've done a lot of reminiscing lately.Top photo: Larry's high school graduation photo, 1964
Bottom photo: Larry and me in Glacier Nat'l Park, 1968
R.I.P. Larry Douglas Engebretson
August 9, 1946 - July 13, 1970
1 comment:
Larry, can't get it to play, Deb
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