On Memorial Day, I say the names of lost friends .. especially Vietnam vets. That includes the late DUer Pinboy3niner

[Bo Zarts]

Pinboy3niner at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Above his Purple Heart ribbon (top row, right side) is the prestigious CIB .. the Combat Infantryman Badge, which denotes actual time in combat with an enemy force. On the left collar of his jungle fatigues is the insignia of the US Army Infantry Corps, and on the opposite collar is the rank insignia .. captain. I can't identify the unit patch on the sleeve or the medal on the white ribbon around his neck .. anyone know?

At one time, I knew Pinboy3niner's name, but that has slipped me now. I once asked him if Pinboy3-9 was his tactical radio callsign in Vietnam. It was. After that, in my mind's ear, I could just hear Pinboy3niner whispering into a AN/PRC-25 ( "Prick-25" ) field radio calling in close air support for his beleaguered men .. surrounded by VC or NVA. That might or might not have happened, but Pinboy3niner achieved hero status with me during his tour of duty here on Democratic Underground.

I salute DUer Pinboy3niner. RIP, sir.

[hlthe2b]

1. He is missed... as are they all, but he was one of our own.

[2naSalit]

2. Indeed!

[mopinko]

3. i think of cliffordu. died of service related als.

loved him. got to spend a wk in portland w him while he was briefly in independent living. (he wouldnt let me come while he was in the hospital. grrr.)
he ended up back in the va hospital, mostly cuz his caregivers were assholes and thieves. 🤬🤬🤬

he remarried his ex wife, and she was by his side every day for the rest of his life.

[uppityperson]

14. I got to meet him before he moved to Portland, when he was still doing well

Turns out we were neighbors, living on opposite sides of a ridge in the country side. I didn't know he remarried his ex. That scks abouthis caregivers. He was a good guy.

[mopinko]

16. he was a wonderful poet, and yes, a very good guy.

fought a mighty battle w alcohol, and became a pillar of the recovery community in portland.
he was planning a cross country bike ride when he got sick. he was gonna come through chgo so we cd meet. i’m still mad at how he hid it from me. took mos to get a dx, and didnt say a word til he got it. by then he was rly sick.
i cared a great deal about him.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Thanks for posting this.

He was a DU legend.

[democrank]

5. "Sir" indeed. Thank you for this, Bo Zarts.

Among others, I say my sweetheart’s name. Agent Orange took him on October 26, 2015. Yesterday I was thinking of all those memory bricks outside the VA he used.

I never had a car trustworthy enough to make it to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C…..but I was able to go to one of the mobile memorials when it came to Lyndonville, Vermont several years ago.

To the memory of my sweetheart, Pinboy3niner and all others…… ♥️

[Enter stage left]

6. Not absolutely sure, but the unit patch looks like "101st Airborne".

[GP6971]

9. I thought the same.

[malthaussen]

18. Yes, Pinboy3Niner was a company commander in the 101st in the Central Highlands

Where he picked up his Purple Heart.

-- Mal

[Baitball Blogger]

7. A very special DUer.

He left too soon.

[lastlib]

8. Thanks for this, Bo Zarts! I also revered Pinboy!

His sense of humor was cosmic. I could hold my own with almost anybody in the pun wars, but certainly not Pinboy--he was TOPS! (As proof, I need only point to the legendary DU "door buzzard" thread, where his wit was on display in all its glory!) Between his wit, his love for us here on DU, and his service to our country, I had ample reason to grant him the utmost respect. He is TRULY missed.

Requiescat In Pace, Pinboy3Niner!

[ultralite001]

10. I ❤️💛💙 this idea...

It would be my honor to include the names of other DUers of whom I am unaware
to my personal reflections on future Memorial Days.

Is there an existing list??? Can one be compiled??? My appreciation would know no bounds
if one can direct me to the names of these individuals.

Grateful for the service of all, those present + those departed...

[marybourg]

11. See:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=inmemoriam

[ultralite001]

13. Thank you...

+ dog bless...

[mahina]

12. Thinking of him with love and appreciation. You too.

Wait a sec, my door buzzard is ringing

[Aristus]

15. ...

[malthaussen]

17. Pinboy3Niner was in the 101st Airborne in the Central Highlands, Bo.

Where he was wounded. He and I chatted a few times, I liked him a lot. But I, too, forget his mundane name. I was really shocked when he died, he wasn't that old (unlike me now).

-- Mal

[Bo Zarts]

19. Thanks, I seem to remember that now.

[malaise]

20. I miss him

Rec