In late July 1969, we were operating out of LZ  Mary.  One morning, my squad was returning from a patrol around the Firebase.  When we came to the barbed wire gate, we noticed that there were several people waiting to meet us.  Comedian George Gobel, the 2/5^th Battalion Commander, and a photographer were greeting each soldier and shaking his hand.  It was very nice, although the experience was a little strange at the time.

About 15 years later, George Gobel was in Connecticut for some event at our local university.  I had the opportunity to speak with him about the incident.  He remembered it well because it was the only time during his trip to Vietnam where he left a large base camp.

Mike Hayes

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Courtesy Mike Hayes