The Days Forward

West Point Class of 1969

Suzanne Rice

10th Anniversary Reminder – 39er

       “A day does not go by I don’t think of him.” Words that often reflect the sentiments of those who experienced combat in Vietnam. I had just started opening my daily emails when I read those words, and they immediately brought tears to my eyes. They were part of a comment recently posted on THEDAYSFORWARD in response to a story I had written about my time as a platoon leader in Vietnam. They were not the words of a classmate but of a veteran of my Vietnam unit who only identified himself as “39er”.

           He related how his fellow soldier, a Japanese American, had taken his place on a night patrol and been killed. “Only by the grace of God” had 39er been ordered to stay behind and fix a broken vehicle. I try not to linger on my experience in Vietnam, but there are many days I think about classmates who lost their lives there. Sometimes, pleasant thoughts about what great lives they would have lived had they survived. Other times, thoughts filled with sadness about what happened to so many in my generation in Vietnam and the impact it had on their families and our nation.

           With the help of the caretaker for THEDAYSFORWARD, I found myself later that afternoon on the phone with 39er. As I suspected, “39er” was his Vietnam call sign, which was designated for the third platoon mortar track. My classmate Bill (Ross) Taylor had been his platoon leader, while I had been leader of the First Platoon. I did not remember 39er, but he had closed his comment on THEDAYSFORWARD with, “Hope Lieutenant Hamilton made it home safe”.

           He related that he had returned from the war with physical and mental disabilities and even today had difficulty doing simple tasks such as using a computer.  He had struggled in various jobs on the East Coast for many years before getting his life together and moving to California, where he worked until retirement for the postal service as a disabled veteran. He was now a leader in his local veterans’ organization and a community servant managing a Christmas charity for children. We had a long conversation about our experiences during and after the war, two old veterans, no longer separated by military rank or education but bound by the short time we had spent together in Vietnam.  “I sent an email to Bill Taylor this morning and let him know you are hoping to contact him,” I said when signing off. “I recently learned that Bill has been hospitalized, so I know he will welcome hearing from you. Let’s keep in touch.”   

        I have enjoyed reading the stories of my classmates on THEDAYSFORWARD for many years and have been a contributing author myself. I sometimes forget that thousands of visitors who are touched by our stories are not classmates and that sometimes, like 39er, their response can bless us in the most unexpected ways.                     

Bill Ross Taylor passed away after a long battle with cancer on 18 Oct 2024. The following week, 39er led the Patriot Guard Riders of California in a memorial ceremony at Miramar National Cemetery to honor his Vietnam platoon leader.  

10th Anniversary Appreciation – Making New Friends

The Days Forward has been a wonderful expansion and enrichment of my appreciation of our classmates and spouses.  Many of us have noted over the years that we knew very few classmates outside our regiment, or at best, outside 1st and 3rd or 2nd and 4th because that was the way our classes were ordered. There were also friendships forged in athletics and extra-curricular activities, but those were relatively small in number. And so throughout our careers, we often said or heard the remark, “I never knew him as a cadet.”

At reunions there were chances to get to know some others.  I remember having great conversations with two different bus seatmates between various reunion activities. Likewise sitting with folks at a reunion breakfast or lunch I got to know a few more classmates and spouses.

But with the advent of The Days Forward, the ability to read stories from a wide variety of classmates and spouses was now at our fingertips.  The names, pictures and stories of those we hadn’t ever met came into my life as welcome guests. The ability to respond to another’s story is another feature of The Days Forward which I really like. Beyond expanding my appreciation of our classmates and spouses, there is a quality of enrichment.  I am enriched by knowing this person’s experience of Checkpoint Charlie, another’s doing scientific work in Antarctica, and several others’ accounts of what they were doing on September 11, 2001.  I tend to get hooked on The Days Forward stories and end up reading another and another and another. I am enriched by all of this, and at this vantage point in life (78 years and counting), it is a blessing to appreciate more and more of our class.  The Days Forward has given us all a great gift!

10th Anniversary Renewing Friendships – Unexpected Contact From Old Friends

The stories from our class family the past 10 years have been amusing, amazing and informative. Personally, two patients, both cadets at the time have contacted me. One, a retired Marine Corps aviator, touched base as he was retiring and another just contacted me through the Days Forward after 34 years! Catching up with patients after so many years is quite meaningful and rewarding.

As we all remember, we would bet parkas and b-robes on Army-Navy and I won an RMC parka sailing in Kingston, Ontario in 1969. I thought that my cadet parka was lost in 1967 when Navy beat Army – their only win in our four years! Over 50 years later, a girl that I dated contacted me through the Days Forward and told me she had something for me. Her mother and mine has been close since first grade. What a surprise when the box appeared with my cadet parka. It still fits!

A grad faculty member who I had met at West Point at a hospital function with his wife, one of our nurses at Keller, found we both had a connection to the US modern pentathlon team years later. So, stories can lead to other connections. I’m looking forward to many more stories in the next ten years. Thank you, Chris and Suzanne.

10th Anniversary Diversity – Learning About the Unique Paths We Took

     It hardly seems possible that 10 years have passed since the DaysForward emerged. I think the aspect I appreciate most is hearing the many diverse stories of what my classmates have done since graduation. While a good number of 69’ers served together in various assignments, I had a very limited experience working with classmates after graduation. That is why their stories are so interesting and show the many ways and paths that they have enjoyed since graduation, to include activities in civilian life.

     I was particularly impressed with the stories that dealt with assignments in Vietnam, since that conflict was the subject of much focus during our years at the Academy. With nearly 63% of our class having tours in Vietnam, our combat experiences were numerous. I’m sure what we took away from the war impacted the rest of our lives.

     I also found stories that were humorous in nature to be most enjoyable.

The job that the team at TheDaysForward has done is not only incredible but extremely magnificent. Keep up the great work.

10th Anniversary Gift – Enriching Our Friendships

Congratulations to The Days Forward for 10 years of memories! I could not have anticipated the gift this website has been to all of us associated with the Class of ‘69—and beyond, to others who found the site. It has been a reservoir of stories perhaps otherwise missed because we don’t share experiences in a narrative format. We have had the opportunity to get to know so many in the class we would not have known except through their stories. Thank you for enriching many friendships and capturing the many ways 800-plus newly-minted lieutenants from the Class of ‘69, their wives, and families have impacted the American scene these past 55 years.