“Oh! Be men, or be more than men. Be steady to your purposes and firm as a rock.” Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
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| After Vietnam, Leo Griego worked for the USFS as a Smoke Jumper. |
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| Leo Griego, Vietnam. He gave me this hammock, which I used for many years. |
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| Leo Griego is somewhere out there. |
I celebrated Veterans Day with my brother, Leo, in Barstow, CA, for many years.
In fact, I presented him with the 50th Anniversary Vietnam pin. It pleased me that he wore it every Veterans Day. The pin was a small reminder of his service and the horrors he experienced in Vietnam. Leo was a U.S. Army paratrooper. He would later use those skills as a smokejumper fighting fires in Missoula, Montana.
The only words he spoke to me shortly after returning from Vietnam were, "War is hell." I was attending San Jose State then, and his words were meaningful.
He never spoke another word to me about Vietnam.
This is Memorial Day weekend.
I prefer Veterans Day to thank all the Veterans for their service.
I painfully know the difference between the two holidays. Our uncle Valentin Moya died during World War II, as I reflect on Remembering Our Fallen and Shadows Over La Joya, New Mexico.
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| Valentin Moya 7/8/1922 ~ 7/18/1942 |
Leo, I recall your words, "War is hell." Yet, we are grateful for your sacrifice. You were a good brother, husband, father, grandfather, law enforcement officer, and friend.
You loved rocks. I have several in my yard that you have given me. They all tell a story.
Tonight, I'm camping at Goodell Creek Campground, and in the morning, I'll attend the Bishop Mule Days. You'd love it here.
The night sky is bright, and Mount Whitney is framed perfectly. As you know, my camp is simple.
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| Goodale Creek Campground, |
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| A rewarding sunset after a long ride. |
The stars are my companions for the night, and I think of you without distractions. Images fill my thoughts as I reluctantly fall asleep. I remember camping in La Joya, mountain climbing at Pinnacles National Monument, your family visiting us at various National Parks, and building that extended kitchen at our mom and dad's house on Elizabeth Street in Barstow, CA.
We also enjoyed the beaches of Kauai, HI. You were in your element riding that horse in Kauai.
Your words about Vietnam still rattle inside my mind and are hard to hear on this Memorial Day. We will never forget you and all the veterans.
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| Farewell, Mount Whitney, as I head for the Bishop Mule Days. |
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| Leo Griego, Kauai, HI. |
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| Leo Griego, Stephen Griego, Ruben Griego, Keith Griego, Lori Griego, David Griego. Rocky Mountain National Park. |
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| Robert Griego, Ruben Griego, David Griego, and Leo Griego are remodeling our mom's kitchen. 1005 E. Elizabeth St. Barstow, CA. |
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| Our mom and dad's house, La Joya, NM. |
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| Jewels Camp, La Joya, NM, behind our mom and dad's adobe house. When I asked Leo what we should call our camp, he replied, "Jewels Camp-La Joya means, The Jewel of the Desert." |
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| Leo and Irma Griego, Pinnacles National Monument. |
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| Robert and Leo Griego, Isla Mujeres, Mexico. "I never met a tamale that I didn't like." |
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| Leo Roy Jose Griego 2/23/1947 ~ 7/22/2022 An open letter on the day Leo died: |
The only thing my dad, Leo, ever told me about Vietnam was this. You had to have balance. He said they’d cross irrigation ditches by laying down a 2x4 and walking across it, because if you slipped, you died. The ditches were lined with sharpened sticks, spikes angled upward. That’s all he ever said. It wasn’t until this year I dig deeper into his military service of which he never spoke.
ReplyDeleteLast Duty Assignment: 504th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division (TUSA)
Vietnam Service Details
• Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) – Means he was actively engaged in ground combat.
• Parachute Badge – Airborne qualified.
• Bronze Star Medal – For heroic or meritorious service in a combat zone.
• Vietnam Service Medal
• Vietnam Campaign Medal
• Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star (Vietnam) – A South Vietnamese military award for heroic conduct in combat.
• Army Commendation Medal
Reading the details of how he earned those medals was truly emotional. It described a young man, voluntarily putting his life on the line to serve others. I can imagine there are some things a father never wants his son to know or see.
Thanks, Danny. It took courage for him to describe what he encountered. He did earn all those metals, though he'd never admit to them. I've never jumped out of a plane, and for him to do it in combat with an 80 lb pack and an M-16 is unnerving.
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