Our Lieutenant

I was in Dong Ha, Quang Tri, and LZ Vandergrift (Past the Rock Pile) in '68 and early '69.

Most of the time I worked in a company office. Writing condolence letters was one of my duties.

We survived.

Gary Canant

You can contact Gary at: [email protected]


       Our Lieutenant
       At the Viet Nam Memorial in Washington

              "Lieutenant ....... - killed June 15, 1968
               Bullet between the eyes. AK-47."

       That's what it says on the back of one of your pictures.
       It must be true
       Because I wrote it a long time ago.

       I always thought your first name was Lieutenant
       Until I looked it up in DC one hot, humid day.
               It was Stephen.

       I didn't find your name on The Wall that day
       Because there were too many,
       And it was too hot,
       And we didn't have much time,
       And we would be late for dinner,
       And we were tired from looking at colleges for my son,
       And it was humid,
       And there were just too many.
               Too many names.

       But it's there
               Somewhere.

       It doesn't really matter that I didn't find your name
       It does matter that I didn't find mine.

               "Lieutenant ..............
                Killed June 15
                AK-47 bullet between eyes."
                               
               "Sergeant Canant
                Still alive in '95"
       
       Thank you, God.
       Take care of Stephen.

Copyright © 1997 By Gary Canant, All Rights Reserved

Don't miss Gary's letters to his wife in the "Letters From Vietnam" Gallery in the "Remembrance" section on this site.

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