I met a Vietnam vet at my father's assisted living home. This guy was bigger than life--literally, as he was 6'4" and built like a mountain--but he had a very chipper and mischievous demeanor, constantly telling stories or dirty jokes. I never once detected anger or sorrow from him. He was matter of fact about everything.

He did 3.5 tours as a chopper pilot. His fourth tour ended when he was shot down, injured in the crash and captured. He said the enemy chained him and a couple of other guys to a tree for 30 days.

He was rescued by a team of six choppers.

He went on to be a sheriff for several decades.

He was always limping which I assumed was from the chopper crash, but I later found out from a nurse that he had a bullet lodged in his leg from a gunfight with a fugitive who had just killed another officer. Our man killed the murderer but carried that bullet for the rest of his life. The wound never quite healed so they had to constantly change the dressing.

This amazing man had a stroke and died suddenly. I figured he would have outlasted me.

He kept talking about getting out and going elk hunting and cleaning up his property.