In Part One of this series, I mentioned I lost two of my friends in Vietnam, brothers Steve and Stanley Barrett.

Every veteran holds onto memories from war. Some are terrifying, some are heroic, and now and then, you stumble across a story that feels unbelievable until you hear it straight from the person who lived it.

Don Rittner: Lessons from Vietnam and the Boys from Troy

I recently interviewed Bob Santa Lucia, a Vietnam Vet, and he shared a tale rooted in family, duty, and sheer determination. Bob spent 20 years raising a family in the Burgh. His story started in 1966, when Bob’s older brother, Dennis, joined the Army. Four months later, Bob couldn’t help himself; he followed Dennis into the service.

Bob finished basic and advanced training at Fort Dix, and in May 1967, he was sent to Vietnam, while his brother Dennis landed in Germany. That didn’t sit right with Dennis since he wanted to be with his brother in Vietnam. Bob tried to convince him otherwise, but to no avail. Dennis signed up for Vietnam, and Bob tried to pull some strings, hoping Dennis could join his unit, the 34th General Support Group, through the 90th Replacement Battalion at Long Binh.

But you know how the military works; plans........

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