I was just walking through my memory banks making a withdrawal and I began thinking about some of the more influential fellows I met as a youngster after coming out of Memphis MAD NATTIC NAS and reporting to New River and HMM 261.

My first section leader was Vic Sooto, he was also the first Samoan I'd ever run into in my long life at age 20. Vic as it turned out was a character right out of a book. Literally right out of a book later found to bear the title'Vietnam Diary' by Richard Tregaskis ca. 1963. Some may know Tregaskis by his most famous work written during WWII called, "Guadalcanal Diary".

I first read the book from a paperback stand at the New River P.X. and noted Vic being mentioned on page 76. The Tregaskis description of Vic was spot on and it seemed Vic hadn't changed over the years since his meeting Tregaskis and joining HMM-261 in New River in 1966. Tregaskis described him as stocky but Vic wasn't stocky, he resembled a bulging Buddha with a round belly, he had very short extremely muscular arms, huge hands, giant thick fingers. God help the man who he might latch onto if he didn't like something he did. The guy was fearless although I did once ask him if he was afraid of anything and if there was any one who's butt he couldn't kick. Vic said the only one who could kick his butt was his cousin "Nappy" or Napoleon Sooto who was in the next Squadron and resembled Harold Sakata who played 'Oddjob' in the James Bond movie "Goldfinger' only Napoleon was a lot larger.

Later I ran into another relative of Vics when I was a rifle range instructor at El Toro in 1969 just prior to being seperated from the Corps. His name was Gunny Sausau who was able to rehash memories with me about Vic and his exploits in a very reasonable way.

Vic was a great guy and a good friend plus a great role model to learn about what to expect when we got to d'nam. That was if he hadn't been drinking. He called me "Nuv" and I can still hear his deep gruff voice swearing in just about every sentence. Gudt damn Nuv... we gonna do...? Gudt damn Nuv, you gotta..., Nuv, we go to Gudt damn chow now! Gudtdam Nuv, I think I like you pretty good.

I can recall Vic drinking at the club one evening and having to go to the head. When he got there, there was a line at the porcelain god. A Navy Squid was taking his time at the and I guess Vic really had to go. The next thing that happened is the Navy sailor went flying and the urinal came somehow came unhinged from the wall of the restroom and followed the sailor.. So it was even once when in the dead of night Vic came into the barracks and found the duty NCO missing from his post. Vic roared "Where the Gutdamn Duty NCO and started tearing cement blocks from the wall and heaving them the entire length of the barracks. I had been asleep in my bunk when Vic came in but once I realized who was roaring and who smashing cement cinder blocks against the wall near my cubicle, I could only fall to the floor, crawl under my rack and pull foot lockers around me to avoid the broken concrete pieces flying around the barracks. There was no way I was going to entertain any idea of reasoning with Vic in his current state of inebriation.

Others who came from HM M 163 to HMM 261 were Sgt Brad Craddock plus a whole load of 34 guys.

Anyone remember those halcyon days in HMM 261 when Major Bob Neslon was our C.O. Pilots like Bob 'Cooterfoot' eager et al.

Thanks for the memories.