Anybody remember the Graves registration Unit at Nha Trang in 1972? They were a small unit (4 or 5 people) that was located in an old French building behind the Engineers Office very near the perimeter wire. Not far from the Pacific Architects and Engineers (PA&E) compound. Nice bunch of guys with a tremendous responsibility. They processed all American casualties, civilian and military. When they had remains on site someone had to stay there. Occasionally there would only be two staff and they would get called for a pickup. It would take two for the pickup and one had to stay so there occasions when one of us would ride along and lift the other end. To say these guys were a different breed is an understatement. They had their own humor that could be very dark but at the same time they could be really funny. When it came to work they were very professional and all business. One of them said it was bad enough processing a body for shipment and home to the family but the hardest part was processing their personnel belongings. They would go through and inventory everything but make sure nothing that would shock, upset or embarrass the family was sent home. They would see the pictures of the wives and children left behind, the things that might have been and never would be. I do remember sitting on the little raised porch the building had late Friday afternoons sipping a beer, while CID burned the dope case evidence. And yes CID was upwind.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 22:29:44 +0000
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