From everyone here at ActiveRain and the folks at Kodak, we would like to congratulate Glenn for his winning entry in the Kodak Moments contest.
There were so many great entries that it was agonizing to even select the top ten. The reality is, every post was worthy of the same accolades. But when you are giving away prizes, there has to be a winner. So this time we put it to you, the community, for a vote and you selected Glenn's moving memories of his friend Mike and the image that allowed his family to remember their fallen soldier over 30 years later.
Everyone has different emotional triggers. It was clear from the voting that different people connect with different stories and images. It's also clear that heroes, friendship and family are something all of us treasure.
Congratulations Glenn!
Glenn will be receiving a KODAK EASYSHARE M580 Digital Camera, a 7 inch PULSE Digital Frame and a few extra ActiveRain points. Our second place winner Karen Kruschka will receive a 7 inch PULSE Digital Frame and her own share of ActiveRain points for her fantastic entry about her son 'aiming high' in life.
The rest of us? We got to enjoy sharing these amazing images with each other (a few of which brought more than one tear to my eyes.....)
My Kodak Moment: The Vietnam War
In 1967, along with 550,000 other GI's I was in the Republic of South Vietnam. Most of us were between the ages of 18 and 22. To say we knew exactly why we were there would be a gross overstatement. Mike and I were with 23 other new guys when we were sent out to our unit in helicopters on a night just a few days before Christmas. He and I had met a few days before that and knew someway that we could team up and help each other to stay alive for the following year.
After about 4 months in the field I was promoted to squad leader. I'd been in country a day longer than Mike, so I got the job. He was a fire-team leader in my squad. There was never a bit of friction between us. He had my back and I had his.
Toward fall of that year we took our separate R&R's. When I returned, a few things had changed. We had a new lieutenant in charge of our platoon and Mike decided to be his RTO (Radio Telephone Operator). It looked like a good move on his part. Being in the platoon command post meant fewer risky details like night ambushes and perimeter listening posts. We were both getting short (less than 90 days left in country before we would go home). I continued to run my squad as usual and then we got new battalion-wide orders and we began 5 man, 3 day patrols along the Cambodian border. Each company in the 5 company battalion would send out 5 of the 5 man patrols. There were three battalions involved. Our mission was to observe the movement of North Vietnamese Troops coming into Vietnam off of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. We did well for a while until the NVA figured out what was going on and started sending out small patrols to hunt us down.
Mike and the new lieutenant were discovered one day by such a patrol and killed. Leap forward 41 years.
Our unit, 2nd of the 35th Infantry, has a website. For 30 years I was pretty much out of touch with the war but I logged in there one day in the 90's and made a comment about Mike. Then last December (2009) I got a phone call from Mike's younger brother. It seems Mike's father is still alive and so are Mike's siblings. They wanted to know if I had any pictures of Mike from Vietnam. They had none.
Everybody has stuff that they never throw away. I had a shoe box of pictures from Vietnam but nothing really good of Mike. I also had 5 little boxes of slides from then, taken with a miniature camera which I'd never really looked at. So I borrowed a slide projector (remember them) and went through the pictures. I found one and had it printed and sent it on to the family. I can't look at this picture with out smelling the odors of a 3rd world agrarian country mixed with the stench of war. There is nothing glorious about bombs bursting in air. Sorry if you think that might be the case. I hear the bombs and I hear the rifle fire. I also hear Mike say, in our poncho hootch during a monsoon rain, "Thirty-one," as he laid down an ace, king and jack, ending one more hand of a card game we played endlessly. Mike was my best friend for 10 months and he was a hero to me many times over in many ways.
Discovering this picture, this year, is my Kodak moment.
This post is written as a submission to the ActiveRain 'Kodak Moments' contest. I have the chance to win the KODAK EASYSHARE M580 Digital CameraTo participate in the ActiveRain contest, visit the blog post announcing the contest from Kodak and ActiveRain.
Glenn Roberts
Lake and Company Real Estate
206-524-3665
Seattle Residential ~ I Do That
Licensed broker since 1985 offering spectacular service to buyers and sellers in greater Seattle, with particular interest in Green Lake, Ballard, Phinney Ridge, Wallingford, Ravenna, Bryant, View Ridge, Roosevelt and the University District.
Referrals from past clients and other agents always make me smile.
Glenn Roberts | Lake and Co Real estate on Facebook
Wow, I hadn't read any of the entries for this contest. I am so glad I read this one. A wonderful Kodak moment by Glen but one I am sure he would rather not be remembering this way. Glen, you and Mike are both my heroes as are all the men and women of our armed services. Thank you.
Glenn, Congratulations on a well deserved win!
Congratulations to Glenn, my choice too.
Congrats to Glenn!
Congrats to Glen and to Karen and all the other entries! that was a fun contest!
Congratulations Glenn! You deserve it!
Heartfelt congratulations to Glenn on an inspiring and poignant post -- well-deserved, friend.
This was a fantastic contest that allowed some to inspire, enlighten, make us laugh and cry but also let us get to know them a little better! Well done AR! And Kodak!
Glenn Congratulations - it is a well deserved win and above all else "Thank You For Your Service"
Thank you for sharing those memories. It must have been hard to bring it all back up again and very nice that you went through old pictures for the family. You have my respect.
Congratulations Glenn. Thank you Active Rain and Kodak, what a great contest.
Enjoy the Kodak products and the WIN Glenn! For the rest of us your post was our prize. Superb!
This was a great contest and congratulations to Glenn for sharing his story - well done and well deserved.
Awesome post glad it won. It was my favorite post out of them all
Was an awesome story that brought tears to my eyes. Congrats!
It was so hard to make that decision. Glad you put it to a vote for us.
Congratulations Glenn! With so many entrants to choose from, it must have been very hard to pick a winner. But your photo and its accompanying story was a wonderful choice.
Congratulations Glenn! Yours was a very touching story and it reminded me of my father's time spent in the army during those years of the Vietnam War (Ft. Bragg Army Brat...that would be me).
Congratulations Glenn and above all thank you for your service to this country.
Karen, congrats to you too. This contest allowed us to all get to know each other in new ways and taught us to "aim high" always.
Thanks for sharing your story. And Congratulations!
Glenn you, Mike and every man or woman who has fought for us to have our freedom are my hero. Thank you. Sorry for your lost.
Congrats and thanks for sharing your touching story with us.
Glen ~ Congratulations on winning the Kodak Moment. Your story was very touching and Thank you for serving!
That is an awesome post. When I sat in my licensing class, there was a Vietnam vet there as well. He was an F4 pilot that had been shot down and was a POW for 6 years at the HH. We talked for hours and he really made an impact on me.
Wow. Great story and very deserving of the win.
Glenn - Congrats on the win and thanks for being a hero to the country. There are still a lot of people out here that are very appreciative of your service!
Way to go Glenn!
Congratulations Glenn! Well deserved!
Glenn,
Well done, and congratulations on winning. Your submission deserved to win.
Rich
Congratulations to both of these winners and I would have to add that they were outstanding posts. Happy New Year everyone! Let's have another Kodak Moment for next quarter.
Wow! I've been out previewing all morning. Thanks Kodak, ActiveRain and everyone for all of the supportive comments. I'll have to get my thoughts together and write a post about it. :D
A worthy winner! Thanks to Mike and all the others who paid the highest price, and thanks to you for your service and kindness toward Mike's family.
Glenn, as soon as I read your post I knew that you deserved to win and that you would win :)
Congrats!
Glenn... You deserve to win, I'm happy to see this. Congratulations. The story is a sad one, but one that also holds in one's heart.
Glenn - that post is perfection. Congrats not only on the win, but on uncovering a treasured memory of a past friend. Best wishes to you in 2011.
Congrats to Glenn! As a parent who lost a child I cannot emphasize how important that photo is to his family! Well done.
Congratulations to Glenn! That truly was a KODAK MOMENT!
Happy New Year to everyone!
Glenn, Congratulations! And thanks for the time you spent in the military protecting our Country! Glad you won!
I subscribed to your blog.
Glenn.....thank you for your service.....I'm glad the photo of Mike won....I too want to subscribe to your blog.
Congratulations to Glenn - a well deserved win.
And congratulations also to all of the entries in this contest - you are all winners!
What a great way to judge a contest - voting by the members.
Congratulations to Glenn! That truly was the best KODAK MOMENT!
Happy New Year to everyone!
Congratulations, Glenn. You deserve it. It was a wonderful story among many other wonderful stories!
You could not have made a better choice.
Thank you.
Congratulations Glenn....truly a lovely tribute to your friend and I'm so glad that you were able to share something so precious with his family.
My favorite! This is the one that grabbed my the most, reading the story and seeing the picture.
Glenn, I somehow missed this the first time around. Touching story and a wonderful gift to Mike's family. As we peel away the layers and I get to know you better, I feel more and more a kindred spirit.
Congrats to Glenn, and like you said, a big shout out to all who participated there were so many great ones.
After reading your post I could see why your the WINNER.. very touching. You really deserve it.
Glen:
Thank you for your service. This was truly a deserving win. Your friend's family must have appreciated this photo so much.
I was very moved by your story.
Glenn - I'm thrilled that you won ... your story was incredibly moving!
Congratulations on a great story, but I still think the ones most thrilled were the relatives who were helped when you found & shared the photo
Congratulations Glenn, you deserve to win. The story and Photo really are moving..
Congratulations, Glen and thank you for serving our country; hope you enjoy the camera too.
Congratulations, Glenn, on you very intense post about Mike and the Vietnam war ~
Congratulations Glenn - well deserved and thank you for sharing this! Thank you for your service, and thank you for introducing us to Mike, a true hero and like you, a GREAT American! Cheers!
Karen - awesome post, thank you for writing it and enjoy the PULSE frame - I hope it helps you display many more Kodak moments - warm wishes for the New Year!
Excellent choice. Very moving story.
Hi Glenn, I was too young to remember much of the war (born in 1969) but when I was 18 I was asked to play Taps in Pottsville, PA for the replica of the Vietnam Memorial that traveled the country in the late 80's. At the time Taps was just a song every trumpet player learned and I didn't think about the meaning of what I had been asked to do.
After they read the names of everyone from Pennsylvania who had died I stood up and played. I saw great emotion on many people's faces - guys who made it back and family members of those who didn't. I've never thought about Taps the same way since.
I don't play my horn much anymore but every Memorial Day I get it out and play Taps for people like Mike and forpeople like you. Thank you for sharing such a powerful story and photo.
This photo and post really puts a face on something that at the time seemed so far away. Congrats and thank you, Glenn.
Those were very difficult years because of all the loss.
You captured a moment in time that was precious to Mike's family and all of us.
Thank you
There were so many fabulous entries it had to be a real challenge to come up with 10 to choose from as the best as many deserved that accolode. But Glenn's reliving a very trying time in his life and that photo was truly deserving of being number 1. Thank you Glenn for sharing.
Congrats to Karen as well as everyone else in the top ten and all who participated. I'm curious who was awarded number 3 for the 2,000 points?
Sue of Robin and Sue
Tears...again. Thanks, Glenn.
This is a fantastic story written of two of America's heroes. War is not the same as it was during that time period. The sacrifices troops made then were tremendous. I served 14 years in the Marine corps (left avtive duty last year) and still have all the admiration in the world for the men who served in Vietnam. Glenn, you are deserving of this win and I'm glad you got the reward. Great post!
Glenn - I have tears in my eyes just reading that story. What a deserved win for you.
I think this has just become my kodak moment.
Congratulations and thank you.
A great shot and story and well deserving of the Kodak winning photo. It is a piece of our past that we should never forget or we are doomed to repeat it.
Amazing, heartfelt and inspiring...we are so much more and richer because of our experiences in life, thank you for sharing the winner and his intimate story and memories.
Glenn--Congratulations on your Kodak moment. My retired navy husband was also in Vietnam & several other hot spots during 27 yr career. He often said, "War is ugly." Your post portrayed another side of war the comraderie of the men/women who served. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations, Mike. A very deserving win, for sure. Brought tears to my eyes reading it again.
Kathy
Congratulation, so glad you won this contest, more than just a picture and I thank you so very much for sharing this story. Happy New Year to you.
Thank you for sharing your very moving story, but thank you more for your service to our country!
After my "angel with wings" Glenn was my favorite . .
Congratulations Glenn that was a beautiful story
Have a Happy and Safe New Year!
Congratulations Glenn. I can't wait for the next Kodak contest. I enjoyed reading all the stories.
Congratulations Glen, I loved your post, and am glad for you! I am looking forward to the next contest too.
Glen's Kodak moment was very worthy of winning this contest. Congratulations Glen!!!
Glenn, Congratulations on such a well deserved win. This is such an incredible story and photo. It touches my soul when I read it. I am sure Mike is smiling down on you. Thank you for all of your heroic war efforts.
Wishing you & your family a very Happy & Healthy New Year!
Speechless thanks for sharing! My sister is a retired LTC Army and she has similar pics and stories form Iraq. It takes a special soul to serve.
Wow, very moving. Congratulations on your win but I'm sure being able to give his family a tangible memory of their loved one was probably the greater reward. Thanks for your service as well.
Awesome story and great pic! I was in college during those turbulent times and it brings back a lot of memories (some good, some bad) of what the country was like at that time.
Congrats Glenn and thanks for sharing!
Congratulations Glen. I shared your story with my brother, Mike, who did come home in 69 & I cannot think of your story without tears coming to my eyes. So many memories of that period swirl in my head but all of mine are stateside I have none of your Viet Nam experiences which are bound up in equal parts horror and honor. Thank you for your service and for sharing. We all need to hear more real stories from in-country.
Absolutely brought tear to my eyes! What a beautiful story of a remembered friend during a hellish time. Thank you for your service, thank you for sharing and congratulations on a very well deserved win!
This brought tears. Thank you for your story.
I would have lost hope in future contests if this entry hadn't won! Congratulations Glen.
Congratulations! What a privilege to be chosen. Good for you. I wish you the best in your Real Estate Career, and thanks for your Service.
Happy 2011
Congratulations, Glenn!
That's quite a story.
Glen congratulations. What a thrill it must have been to Mike's family to get this photo.
Congrats! This photo was definitely one that touched me. So glad you won!
This story made my eyes water. Congratulations! A well deserved win, though I'm sure you would have preferred a different outcome... But Mike lives in your memory, and now he will live in ours.
G.
MY FAVORITE ONE won!
The story was great and got me. I am grateful for you servicing and troubled that Mike's family had to sacrfice him.
I hope you have many Kodak moments that are filled with JOY.
Congratulations Glenn. This was a perfect choice for a winner. Thank you both for serving out country.
TS
What a wonderful story and picture. Well deserved win.
Glenn, Congratulations on your winning photo. Your story is touching. As a "brother" Vietnam Vet with very similar experiences I can just imagine how this recognition affects you.
You are a good man! All the Best in 2011.
Wow! Thats a Kodak monent luckily not many of us can relate to. Congrat's Glenn and thanks for all you have done.
Congratulations on your win Glenn! Your photo is wonderful .
Glenn - A very worthy winner. I can only imagine what you went through in Nam. In 1967, I was graduating from High School in Canada far removed from the battleground. I did know of two musician draft dodgers though who have since been re-patriated..
Fantastic win! Thanks for helping us to remember... .
Happy New Year!!
Glenn, Congrats to loyalty!!
Thank you for serving, to stop the expansion of communism, international terrorism and demonstrating professional empathy, for bringing back memories. Mike must be proud of you!! I salute you!
Great Kodak contest, look forward to the next. Peter Perth --W.Australia
Awesome, awesome post. I'm so glad you found that photo. Congrats on your win!
Congratulations, Glenn! Your photo not only impacted the family of your good friend, but it has certainly inspired me! Thank you for sharing!
I WAS IN THE NAVY , ON AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, OFF THE COAST THEN. OUR PILOTS FLEW THOUSANDS OF MISSIONS OVER YOUR HEAD. SOME NEVER MADE IT BACK. I ONLY HOPE ONE OF THOSE MISSONS HELPED YOU GET BACK HOME...
Glenn, Very emotional and touching... Unfortunately most of us can share in a loved one that has served and was lost. Thank you and to all our service people... Lest we forget!
Hi Glenn,
My fiance is a Vietnam Vet. I showed him your blog and picture. Just the other day he was showing me a picture of him on the streets of Saigon. Great picture, glad you could give his family another memory.
Tni
Glenn-I lost my Vietnam Vet in Oct. and amoung his things I found a letter he had recently written to the sister of his best friend in Vietnam who was also killed there. I've been torn about whether or not to send it-after reading your Kodak moment I realize how much it would mean to his family and so now I will go ahead and send the letter. Thanks for helping me understand. And congratulations.
Congrats Glenn! You had my vote from the very beginning. Great job!
Glenn, You deserve the win.
Thanks for sharing.
Hey Glenn - Just finished reading the new book "Unbroken" about the WWII sodier Louie Zamparini. Never read an entire book so quickly as I was in awe of what soldiers go through in combat and in survival. God Bless you for your service to our country, and also for sharing a very personal post through your photo. I am sure Mike's family was thrilled to receive the photo and will treasure it forever!
I am very excited that Glenn won! A very moving story that gave me a lump in my throat. A daughter of a Vietnam Vet who made it home, I feel for those whose family member did not!
Glenn, I voted for you. Glad that this gives you and other Vietnam Vets a touch of recognition for a job well done! Thank you for your service!
Congratulations Glenn, that is a fantastic photograph, I'm sure Mike's family will be delighted to get it.
Congratulations Glenn. I can only imagine how much this photo will touch Mike's family.
I hadn't followed the other entries for this contest. Reading your submission, it is clear why your selection was chosen. Thank you for serving our country
Congratulations Glenn! Great photo!
YAY Glenn!!!! What an honor to you & your friend!! Thank you for sharing this little ray of sunshine from you life!
Congratulations on the win and thank you for sharing.
Congratulations Glen! Happy New Year!
Glenn Congratulations! Happy New Year!
This is a very touching story. It was great that you could give Mike's family the only picture of Mike to go along with their memories.
Congratulations Glenn. Thank you for sharing that story and photo...It's had an impact on so many of us!
Great contest! Congratulations Glenn! Happy New Year to you all and God bless you in 2011!
Congratulations to Glen - and to Karen too!
It was fun to participate in this, and more fun to see and read the entries. Thanks, Kodak, for bringing us this contest!
And to Glen and all Veterans (including my husband and my two good neighbors) THANK YOU!
Glenn, look how many people you have touched! Congratulations and Happy New Year!
Congratulations to Glenn and Karen...great posts and very moving.
Congratulations glenn, I have never served in the military but I admire, respect and appreciate those that do.
I'd like to ditto Karen's remark--this was akin to that good book that you can't put down--had to read every word and hung on every other! Thank you for sharing your story with us--it is really quite poignant. Your entry definitely deserved to be the winner and I'm so glad that I decided to read this today. God bless America and you for your service.
Congratulations to both winners! An outstanding contest and surely brought many a memory forefront.
Great contest! Congratulations Glenn! Happy New Year to you all and GREAT THINGS you in 2011! Hope to be back "in the rain" in early 2011 with you.
Mott Kornicki 786-229-7999 http://www.activerain.com/mmk
Glenn ~ your story was written with a lot of heart and soul. I cannot even imagine the living conditions you all put up with. My many thanks to you for serving our country. Congratulations on the win.
Congratulations on your win and for sharing just a peek of your Vietnam story.
This is probably the most deserved "win" on AR since I've been a member. Glenn, Congratulations to you my friend. Awesome story...............many thanks to you for serving our country and for what you did for Mike's family. You are truly a man with a huge heart..............blessings to you Glenn.
Congratulations on a moving post. What a wonderful gift you were able to provide to your friend's family.
Glenn, you deserve to win just as all Vietnam Vets deserved our Thanks and have finally gotten it. It brought back so many memories of friends, living and gone, that had a snipet of life ripped apart by Vietnam. Your desire to help find a photo for a family speaks volumes of what you gave, what you still give today. Thank you!
Glenn - congratulations on the win, and as someone above me wrote, being able to read your post and see this picture is our prize. Deepest heartfelt thanks to you and Mike and all of our military for your service to our country.
Thank you - Ann
Congratulations to Glenn!!! It was a wonderful picture and story!
congratulations !!!!! very well done !
Hi Glenn! Thank you for sharing your story. My heart goes out to you, Mike and his family for all that you have to go through for the country!
Fantastic! Congratulations on the Kodak Moment win. I"m sure the decision was not an easy one. Glad I didn't have to be a judge:)
Great post. Congratualtions on winning the Kodak Moment.
They made the right choice. Congratulations.
What a precious story! My father was in the Navy during this time. He's not with us now but, I'm happy for the time we did have him.
Congratulations & Happy New Year!
Congrats! That was the one I voted for. When those that we love are gone, a simple photograph can remind us how fortunate we were to have those people in our lives. Thank you for your service to your country and for an excellent post.
Way to go! I voted for you too. Enjoy the swag.
Congratulations Glenn! Thank you for sharing with us.
Good post.....
Congratulation Gleen for win........
Enjoy the win you deserves it..........
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