MAGICAL PLACE, MAGICAL HAPPENINGS

Angel Fire - Veterans Day - 1996

By Steve Stickley

On the 9th of November, my wife Pat and I arrived at Angel Fire, a very Magical place indeed. We were in awe of our surroundings and the beauty of the valley.

As we entered, we noticed the book shelves to our left and started to look for a book that Gordon Thacker had told me about called, "A War Without Heroes." We did not see it, so we decided to go into the Veterans' room and look around. Our attention was drawn to where the pictures are on the right...I wanted to see Bill, but this was not to be. His picture was not there.

As I voiced my disappointment, a elderly gentleman asked if he could help and introduced himself as Dr. Westphal. We turned around to introduce ourselves, and the first thing that came into view was a big, blue book with gold letters. All I could do was point and said to Pat, "Look."

It was the book "A War Without Heroes."

Then Dr. Westphal asked who we were looking for, and I said, "Bill Koho...William H. Koho."

For the first time, I noticed that there was another person in the room. I do not know how I could have missed him because he was the biggest man I think I have ever seen, and he asked what was that name I had said. So I said it again; and he made a noise and said, "He's right here."

He was looking in one of the biography books for two guys whose names started with F and were from Chicago. But the book was opened to the name of William H. Koho. He was looking in the wrong book to find his two friends. The big guy and I both at the same time said that we had gotten a cold chill.

It was starting to get late afternoon; and not knowing when the others would arrive at the D&D, we decided to leave and come back the next day with the rest of the group. When we got there, the big guy was there again. This time I asked his name, and he said that it was Rick Perkins. I told him that my son-in-law's mother's maiden name was Perkins and that I also have been looking for two friends from Chicago but on the Internet. We all agreed that the odds of all these similarities would be astronomical .

Dr. Westphal wanted in writing what had taken place, and he asked Rick and myself to do this. Rick said sure, but I found that I was at a loss for words and had to have Pat write it down for me.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: If it hadn't been for the "Lost and Found" section on the "Vietnam Veterans Home Page" Web site, the meeting would not have happened.)

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Steve can be reached at: sstickley@vvm.com

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Please click on each picture to view a larger image.

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Left to Right: Bob Thornton, Bob Kennison, Scott Koho, Dennis Koho, Steve Stickley, Gordon Thacker

Left to Right: Bob Kennison, Steve Stickley, Gordon Thacker.

Left to Right: Rick Perkins, Steve Stickley

"BOOM !!"

William H. Koho KIA, Vietnam

Left to Right: Dennis Koho, Scott Koho

Left to Right: Steve Stickley, Bob Kennison, Gordon Thacker.

Left to Right: Gordon Thacker, Bob Kennison, Steve Stickley

"GREED" By David Westphall KIA, Vietnam Son of Dr. & Mrs. Victor Westphall

Dr. and Mrs. Victor Westphall Founders of "Angel Fire"