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General Sheehan had originally suggested a get-
together at a Vietnamese restaurant but decided
to accept Do Son’s offer for a reunion at his
daughter’s house. Before travelling to San Diego,
Do Son had asked me (To Van Cap) to join Do
Son for a reunion with General Sheehan. I
regretted I could not make it due to personal
reasons, knowing I may not have a secondchance
to join them for a reunion lik e this. When Covan
Sheehan met Do Son, he was in his U.S. Marine
combat fatigue. In the same manner, Do Son
greeted his Covan in his TQLC combat fatigue. It was 46 years ago that they fought side by
side and then went on their separate ways. The reunion was long overdue for them to renew
their friendship, and to catch up with soldier’s life and death stories between them
during the Vietnam War.
Meeting Do Son’s daughter, Theresa Ngo, General Sheehan told her that he had met
her before in Vietnam. Do Son was surprised but remembered that his wife had took Theresa
to visit him upon the Battalion return from a combat mission at the Trau Dien Battalion Rear
Base Camp in Thu Duc, 1968. Theresa was only seven years old. Not only General Sheehan
has a very good memory, but he is a great ice-breaker. He put everyone at ease in joining the
conversation.
Do Son recounted some memorable moments with his Covan during the reunion:
“Before dinner time, I asked General Sheehan if my daughter’s family and I could have a
picture taken with him and his wife, General Sheehan took out a TQLC beret that he brought
with him, and happily wore it for the occasion.
. He must have kept the same TQLC beret that he wore 46 years ago all these years.
The unspoken gestures of the General said it all, an unwavering friendship of a Covan for his
South Vietnamese Marines.”
Do Son continued:
“General Sheehan also opened an envelope, and took out a combat mission map of
Cau Khoi and Boi Loi, Tay Ninh in 1968. The map shows the location where Captain To Van
Cap had saved his Covan, Fist Lieutenant Joe Bagerstock when Begerstock’s helicopter
mistakenly dropped him off in the enemy’s territory. General Sheehan also showed me a VC
handwritten map of Gia Dinh, Thu Duc that the Trau Dien Battalion seized in Mau Than
battle. General Sheehan gave these maps to me as a gift. These gifts are priceless to me. I
treasure this reunion, and I would not miss it because there may not be another chance for us
to get together since I am up in age, and we live some three thousand miles apart.”The
reunion between General Sheehan and the Trau Dien Battalion Commander on February 07,
2015 speaks of an unbroken bond between a South Vietnamese Marine and his Covan. The
last time they were together was 46 years ago. Since then, the Covan had risen to the top of
his military career to become a four-star General of the United States. With all those 46 years,
the General has never forgotten his South Vietnamese Marine whom he served as a Covan,
and neither was the South Vietnamese Marine who has always remembered his Covan as his
brother-in-arms, and also the one who had saved his life.
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ĐẶC SAN SÓNG THẦN TQLC 2020