Page 34 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine
P. 34
Joe Brimberry Serving, Surviving and
Serving Again
by Larry A. Williams
Veterans Liasion Co-Chair
Texas South Plains Honor Flight
the scariest time Vietnam in April 1966 and
in Vietnam was, headed north.” Returning to
he remembered his unit after being wounded,
“night time later on, Joe suffered from
firefights.” “jungle rot” due to cuts and
scratches which became
Charles Joseph infected and turned into
Brimberry painful sores. Joe was sent
was born in back to the hospital on
Indianapolis Okinawa and then arrived in
to Charles and San Francisco to convalesce in
Lenna Brimberry. December of 1966. He spent
His father was his last six months at Barstow,
a truck driver California as a sergeant of the
and later a guard and was discharged on
policeman. He July 14, 1967. Remembering
had two sisters. his time in Vietnam, he said,
Marine Corporal Charles His mom and “My girlfriend Patricia Hutson
“Joe” Brimberry and some dad separated when he was from back home in Torrance
of his buddies were “just a young man. “Dad picked wrote to me every day.” He
heading to a river to get a me up from school one day also recalled that his best
swim and clean up when it and took me to Torrance, friend, Cpl. Albin Barancdyk
happened.” Deep in Vietnam California.” His mother from Wisconsin, “had both
(Joe is not sure exactly where), joined them later, and she legs blown off and was killed
one of the guys near Joe hit and Charles stayed together in Vietnam in May 1966.” He
a trip wire that exploded a until he passed away. Joe recalled that “the toughest
grenade. Joe was hit in the graduated from North High in part was writing to Albin’s
arm by shrapnel, but “the two Torrance in 1963. fiancée that he had been
other guys were hit worse After enlisting in the killed.” Joe had introduced
than I was.” Joe was flown by Marines in July 1963, Joe’s the couple.
chopper to the nearest field
hospital to be patched up and basic training was in Camp
then sent to the USS Repose Pendleton, California. He
hospital ship in Da Nang served a stint in Okinawa
Harbor. The ship treated from 1964 to 1965, and then
attended cold weather school
over 9,000 battle casualties in Bridgeport, California,
and 24,000 inpatients while which he enjoyed. “We got
deployed, earning the to camp out, go hiking and
nickname, “Angel of the rappel. I like all of those
Orient.” Joe noted that “the things.” He then helped to
best thing on the ship was the
nurses onboard. They were train reserves for six months.
older than us young guys and Part of the 1st Battalion, 5
th
very nice to us.” After two or Marines, Brimberry and his
three days, Joe was sent back unit “made an amphibious
to his unit. When asked what landing near Chu Lei,
34 Lubbock Senior Link
