Barber's Point, Hawaii

		Barber's Point, Hawaii
		August 1966, Naval Air Station, Barbers Point, Hawaii. This is the USMC file photograph of me after receiving the Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device. The ceremony was only a few days after I had arrived at the Marine Barracks as the new Guard Officer. (You can see the hair sticking out from under my cover. This was the shortest haircut that I could get a civilian barber in San Francisco to give me before I left from there to report in at my new duty station.) My wife is still mad at me for not telling her about the ceremony. I honestly didn't know that it was going to occur. Interesting look in the eyes (don't you think?) after having just completed my tour in Vietnam. That vacant look of someone staring into the far distance - or deep into his soul. Barbers Point turned out to be my final active duty station. After my promotion to Captain and having finished out my required four years of service, I requested to resign. I had been watching memos come through from Headquarters Marine Corps, and it seemed apparent that I was heading back to Vietnam in a matter of months. As much as I loved the Marine Corps, I couldn't imagine living through two tours in Vietnam.