TALES FROM THE ROAD

Mesquite, Nevada
February 25-28, 2010

In the jungles of Vietnam, Skip and Earl formed a friendship amongst all the chaos of war.  Their friendship grew so strong in fact that they regularly wrote letters to each other’s families.  However, they were helicopter crew members, and they risked their lives day in and day out as they flew to and from enemy areas.  It was this harsh reality that brought their friendship to an end because on November 1, 1967, Skip watched as Earl was killed when his helicopter crashed.

Skip survived his tour and returned to California, but he never forgot his friend.  And neither did Earl’s sister.  She longed to know more about her brother’s death, and she wrote to Skip hoping he would tell her the story.  But for Skip it was a memory too difficult to think about or share, so he never answered her letter.  However, he also couldn’t forget Earl and his family, so he kept the letter for 42 years.

When The Wall That Heals arrived in Mesquite, Skip decided it was finally time to confront the awful memories of his service in Vietnam and the death of his friend.  It was finally time to start the healing.  On Friday, Skip came to see The Wall, but he couldn’t bring himself to walk up to it.  He visited the next day but once again he could only stand at a distance with tears in his eyes.  On our last day in Mesquite, Skip returned but not alone.  He came with his daughter and the letter from Earl’s sister.  With his daughter and some courage he was finally able to approach The Wall and touch the name of his lost friend.  At the foot of The Wall, Skip left the letter and a smile appeared on his face for the first time.  He finally took the first step towards healing, and his daughter remarked that this was the first time he had ever opened up about his experience in Vietnam.  

In her letter to Skip, Earl’s sister wrote, “You know sometimes I can still see Earl’s face and can hear his pleasant laughter. I truly believe he was a gift of love sent by God to all who knew him.”  While we can no longer see his face or hear his laughter, Walter Earl Bentley will always be honored and remembered on Panel 29E, Line 1.   

 

   
   
   


 

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