"The recovery and positive ID of Denny Hammond's remains was reported to his family in Jan. '04. Older sister C. Tackitt will receive her brother's remains prior to the burial on 22 May,2004 in Mexia, Texas. The funeral will be in Bremond Texas on May 22."
As strange as it seems some can go through life with very few or no friends. Some go through life with many friends, but not what they could call "real good friends". And then some of us are sometimes blessed with what we can call our very best friend. Dennis "Ham-bone" Hammond was, is, and will always be my very best friend.
You see, there are many special things about a very best friend and "Ham" had many more than he needed. Many need years to develop a friendship, and perhaps a lifetime to decide if they have a best friend and who that may be. But "Ham" and my friendship was born on the day that I met him, matured in less than a year, and will last forever.
I believe there were many factors that made this possible, and one of the best that I can point out would be with a quote by Tim "CAPVet" Duffie on the front page of the CAC/CAP Website.
"We Are All Alone In Indian Country"
That was how we described it when we talked among ourselves in the 1960s. While not politically correct in the '90s, it summarized how 5,000 select CAC/CAP Marines and Navy Corpsmen felt as they stood for the first time in an isolated Vietnamese village, surrounded by jungle, terrifying booby-traps, and thousands of supposedly hostile Vietnamese civilians. They were part of the Marine Corps Combined Action Program (CAP). The CAP program placed a squad of Marines and one Navy Corpsman in villages from Chu Lai to the DMZ in South Vietnam from 1965 to 1971.Images of fanatical Viet Cong pouring out of the jungles and rice paddies hovered in the minds of each of us as we hunkered down for our first night of sleep in such hostile territory. That first night, each new Marine and Corpsman counted the friendly faces of as few as 7 Americans, then looked with mixed emotions at a poorly equipped platoon of Vietnamese Popular Forces, the local village "militia".
Each Marine or Corpsman certainly pondered the distance to the nearest American military base. Each calculated how long it would take for help to arrive. Each knew that, when needed, help would probably not arrive in time.
By 1967 Echo 2, which had just been re-designated from Foxtrot 7 and was composed of 8 Marines (varied), one Navy Corpsman, and less than two dozen Popular Forces(varied).
When I arrived, Dennis was on his second tour of duty, but his first with the Combined Action Program. On the very first evening we began fishing, hunting, and buying land in Canada for a Hunting and Fishing camp, and driving his dream car. As we were the only two in the compound that was absolutely nuts about fishing and hunting our friendship had a very natural beginning.
"Ham" took me on my first day patrol and then my first night patrol. As we usually only ran four man patrols (two Marines, two Popular Forces) the two Marines only had each other in which they could truly trust, Dennis was to become my mentor.
From "Ham" I learned how to control but respect fear, how to look for trouble, and how to deal with the rest of my fellow Marines and Corpsman. He told me of each ones strengths and weakness's. He taught me some of the more important phrases in the Vietnamese language like, I would like a cigarette!, I would like a beer!, and which way did the $%#^^#$'s go? But probably one of the most important things he would teach me was how to find a good laugh in the worse of situations, and that I still use sometimes today.
Then there was the lighter side of our friendship, like fishing in a rice-paddy with eye-less, Vietnamese handmade, fish hooks. Crow hunting where there were no Crows, and trying to get Ham's beloved dogs to eat Ham & Bean C-rations and drink Lime Kool-Aid, and the list goes on. Each one holding a special place in my mind complete with pictures, and the sound of that special chuckle. I can picture him sitting for hours with our two South Vietnamese errand boys we called (Charlie and Buffalo), explaining pictures in a LIFE magazine.
I remember one day when after looking at a Playboy magazine, Dennis asked them both what they would like to do when they got older. Charlie replied he would like to be a South Vietnamese pilot like his older brother, Buffalo then replied to Dennis " I want to be an American Marine like you and go look for her!." (pointing to the Playboy foldout) . And then without hesitation Dennis said "No!, You need to stay here and be a Vietnamese Marine and defend your country, that's what Marines do."
"To be a Marine like you!", what a statement that would come to be.
Dennis volunteered for the Marine Corps, a second tour of duty, the Combined Action Program, and the reaction force that would try and save his brother CAP Marines at Echo 4 from being over-run. With less than 3 weeks left of his last tour, Dennis gave the last two things he had to give, first his freedom and eventually his life. But even in the final days did he ever forget his Country....and in my heart I'm sure he never forgot his dreams.
Here are a couple of quotes from various documents/books from his fellow POWs:
"as he died, he was reciting the military oath of allegiance to the United States"(*See Author's Note below)
"Denny was one tough guy. I mean, he was beyond a Marine, he was just a tough, street guy."
* Author's note: Although this is documented in several of the surviving POW's books and other documents, and by having read at least four different eyewitness accounts, I have reason to believe he was reciting the "Armed Forces Code of Conduct", and that's going by at least two of the accounts, and considering the more coherent parts of what they heard him saying.
Armed Forces Code of Conduct:
Article I : I am an American, fighting in the armed forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.
Article II : I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.
Article III : If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
Article IV : If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information nor take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.
Article V : When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service, number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.
Article VI : I will never forget that I am an American, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.
Either way, Dennis proved his loyalty to the very end. He had lived the "Code of Conduct" almost to the letter, not only making one escape attempt, but then making a second which between his wounds and the punishment he received for trying the second escape probably costing him his life. But looking back, not only can I see him doing it, but anyone knowing him well could have almost predicted it. Sometimes when I think or read about his exploits and his reciting the "Code of Conduct", I can hear that faint chuckle that only he could impart when in a bad situation.
It was common knowledge in Vietnam that any recipient receiving three Purple Hearts could never be ordered back into a combat zone again. Dennis received two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star. On May 21st, 2004 , "Ham" received his third Purple Heart, it is the only gift I had that was worthy of a "Very Best Friend" that gave his Family, his Country and his friends so very much in a way too short of time.
* The story of how we lost Dennis and too many other Marines and Corpsman can be found here: The Battle at Lo Giang, Siege of Echo4
"Tiny"
A Shadow on the Wall
It was 2:00 a.m in the morning, when he came upon the wall...
a dark black "V" of granite, it stands not very tall.
The timing was premeditated, he had to be alone...
for it's very hard to hear, a voice that's etched in stone.
He paced those wings of black, looking for a friend...
and to reflect upon a moment in time, to a place where they'd once been.
Then the panel suddenly appeared, and the voice was once again heard...
a long lost friend had been found, among the whisper of his word.
In the silence of the night, it echoed from the wall...
"You can let it go now, and thanks for coming to call"
And then he moved away, the silhouetted wall began to fade...
but looking back he noticed......his shadow.... it had stayed .
Then came May 22, of 2004...
his shadow had moved to Bremond, to see the final door.
No longer only a voice, a voice only etched in stone...
his friend had come home now, no longer all alone.
Thirty-six years had passed, since he last stood beside his friend...
but now in Bremond Texas, a long journey would finally end.
Back once again with family, a family that waited so long...
beside his Mother and Father, that had taught him right from wrong.
Now my friend, my comrade in arms, my shadow can finally rest...
of all the friends I may ever have, you'll remain my very best.
I have met your distant friends, and what a brotherhood they are...
and now we are also like family, and will never stray very far.
And now to the final line, as many hearts begin to mend...
it is a privledge and an honor, to have you "Ham", to have
you as my friend.
Tiny
