Bio

SGT E-5 ARMY REGULAR 173RD AIRBORN BRIGADE LENGTH OF SERVICE 1 YEAR HIS TOUR BEGAN IN JUN 6, 1966 CASUALTY WAS ON MAR 26, 1967 IN TAY NINH, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY MULTIPLE FRAGMENTTATION WOUNDS BODY WAS RECOVERED PANEL 17e - LINE 55 KILLED IN ACTION MARCH 26, 1967?????? THIS IS NOT TRUE! **IT'S NOT MY BODY AT ALL THAT WAS MIS-LABLED AND SENT TO SALISBURY, PA. MORTUARY AND GIVEN A BURIAL. BUT WHEN THIS BODY WAS SHIPPED WITH MY NAME ON THE TAG I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO ESCAPE A HELLISH KILL ZONE. NO SURVIVORS WERE RETURNING AND I DIDN'T LOOK, "A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH." SO, I ASSUMED A FALSE IDENITY AND MY IDENITY WAS PLACED OVER COL. JOE C. AUSTIN'S GRAVE. SO, COL JOSEPH C. AUSTIN IS BURIED IN THE SALISBURY, PA. GRAVEYARD. WE HAVE MOVED HIS GRAVE RECENTLY DUE TO THE TWO CHEROKEE/SHAWNEE SISTERS REPORTING IT TO THE PENTEGON BUT THE GOVERNMENT SENT THIS BODY ORIGINALLY WITH MY NAME ON IT, TO OUR HOME TOWN. THE GOVERNMENT NEVER CARED ABOUT VIETNAM SOLDIER'S AND WE JUST REPRESENT A NUMBER SLOT AND IT'S THE SAME TODAY! "SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE WITH TIME!" I UNDERSTAND, THAT MY CHEROKEE/SHAWNEE SISTER/FAMILY/PROMISED WIFE IN WAITING: ALL WANT TO BE FREE OF THIS, AFTER ALL OF THIS TIME. IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO ASSUME THIS DEAD SOLDIER'S IDENITY, BECAUSE MY STEP FATHER WAS ABUSIVE TO ME ALL OF MY LIFE AND A NEW IDENITY GAVE ME A NEW LIFE! I WAS AN UNWANTED CHILD AND JOINED THE ARMY BECAUSE I HAD MANY MILITARY HERO'S TO FOLLOW AFTER BUT HAD TO FACE A 'WAR ZONE' LIKE NO OTHER? WHEN COL. JOSEPH CLAIRE AUSTIN'S BODY WAS MISLABLED AND SENT TO MY HOMETOWN IT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE HE HAD RED HAIR AND DIDN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE ME. BUT WHEN MY BELOVED I PROMISED TO MARRY HEARD OF MY BODY BEING AT THE SALISBURY MORTUARY, SHE WAS SO UPSET AND SHOCKED. HER LITTLE SISTER TRIED TO PAY HONOR AND SPARE HER OLDER SISTER THE VIEWING OF MY BODY? BUT THE LITTLE SISTER GOT SO SURPRISED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THE RIGHT PERSON AT ALL. MY FAMILY TRIED TO DECIEVE THE LITTLE SISTER AND CONFUSED HER AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO? BUT SHE TOLD HER OLDER SISTER/FAMILY AND THEY WENT TO VIEW THE BODY, WHICH HAD BEEN MOVED TO ANOTHER TOWN? MY BELOVED AND HER FAMILY TRIED TO SPEAK OUT AND PROTEST THE BURIAL AND I LEFT TOWN TILL AFTER THE FUNERAL OCCURRED. ONCE THE FUNERAL WAS OVER I RETURNED BUT MY BELOVED HAD GIVEN UP TILL THEN AND WAS ALREADY MARRIED AND EXPECTING HER FIRST CHILD? SO, I MET WITH HER AND HAD TO LEAVE THE AREA. BUT DUE TO MY STEP FATHER'S ABUSIVE WAYS AND FEARING FOR MY ORIGINAL FAMILIES SAFETY, I STAYED IN THE GENERAL AREA. TODAY I RESIDE IN NORTH CAROLINA AND WITH THE EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE. BUT MY WORLD IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AGAIN, DUE TO THE LITTLE SISTER RECOVERYING HER MEMORY OF THE EARLIER DECEPTIONS PLAYED ON HER??? SO, I MUST TURN MYSELF IN AND THROW MYSELF ON THE MERCY OF THE GOVERNMENT BUT TO EXPECT ANY PARDON IS NOT SOMETHING ANY FIRST AMERICAN CAN EASILY EVER DO??? BUT TO HAVE MY COUNTRY VIEW THIS ALL FROM MY EYES WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING, BECAUSE TOO MANY SOLDIERS HAVE DIED AND I PROBABLY AM THE ONLY ONE FROM THE VIETNAM AREA, WHERE I FOUGHT TOO? "BUT ONLY LET THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED BY MY JUDGE!!"