Bestbird Page Twelve:
Minding
the claws of the tropics.
Last edited
10 Jul 2004; and, since 07 Jun 2002,
this us visit
.
Sad songs
and waltzes: (02 Nov 2000)
Well, after a sabbatical of more than a half year which was taken
primarily because sad songs and waltzes ain't selling this year, I'm back on
this page to tell half-truths about how and why I left San Pedro.
(6 Jun 2002) Well, another year and a half gone by. Time goes fast when you're
having fun. 
This time,
I have a better excuse - I spent nearly all of my pecking time in getting the
Imjin Buddy Bunker and the 3rd
Division pages underway. Those pages, about some particular hills in Korea
as guys who were there remember them, seemed to take over and be in charge of my
work habits.
The claws of the tropics gather my pile:
Golf balls and goodbyes:
I'll be right back: (11 Apr 2000) Those are words that I might have jokingly said to John Greif or Wayne Castleberry, the last two persons with whom I had a face to face (more accurately, a side to side) conversation in San Pedro, and will use as the title for BB - Page Thirteen. However, then was definitely not the time for humor - all three of us were in a somber mood, and I was downright "all shook up". At the gathering held on the day before, Wayne had already made his heartfelt pitch as to why I should stay and, a while after John joined us on the bench inside the Tropic Air Office, Wayne said something like, "I'll see you, Merv." John quietly said a few words (much appreciated) meant to encourage me to reconsider. He mentioned something about friendship and said other kind words; and, when I thanked him but said I had to go, he generously left me alone with my sadness. I knew in my heart that I would not be soon returning, if ever. So, as Nando Trejo, who also looked sad and was not his usual talkative self, circled the plane around San Pedro and then flew along the beach as far as Victoria House, I took a long last look at a wonderful view which I still can see in my mind.
The trip back to gringoland: