I was notified tonight that our Brother Gene Clark passed away yesterday. Gene has been battling cancer for almost the past four years. Linda and I will be trying to get to the services as will Dave and Val Larson and hopefully Bob and Diane Rebbec. I talked to Gene's wife, Lee, tonight and sent our regrets from the Troop. As you know Clarkie was very close to Linda and I and will be missed very much. The following is the information I got from Ken and Sandy Dye.
God Bless you all and your Families. I will report back after our trip.
PS Bob Taylor could you please send a card from the Troop. Thanks Brother
THis is really sad news...
I did not even know brother Gene was even ill....its a real shame...
Please give my thoughts to the family..
wally
Wow, what a shock! Gene and I met through the reunions too. I looked forward to seeing him each year. It was always good to talk and hang out with him. I always came away feeling uplifted. What a sweet man, gentle soul and one cool Dude. We’ve lost a fine human being. I will miss him.
Fergie
Troopers I just got a call from Rag (Jim Rinaldi). He told me some very sad news. One of the kindest most decent human beings I've ever met died today. Those who serviced with him and those who knew him through the reunions as I did, know it is true when I say, "we've lost a wonderful man". Gene Clarke gave it up to Liver Cancer. What a friggin bummer.
We are honored to have known Gene. What a fine man and a good friend. It was never about himself- always others. Rag, I really feel for you and Linda, and Dave and Val. Gene was such a class act, and I'll miss him. Jim C.
Gene was a very nice person. I will send a sympathy card to the family tomorrow. Bob Taylor
Wow! I didn't even know he was sick.
Gene was indeed a class act. He had returned to the states long before I
joined the troop in Viet Nam, but I was glad to have met him at the
reunions. Really nice guy, it is a shame to learn that he is gone. My
prayers are with him and his family.
Jim Good
It is very sad to hear that another trooper has fallen, our deepest sympathy to his family
and he will be remembered in our prayers.
Joe Byrne
Rag, wish I could make it to Chicago for the service. Gene was such a nice guy always upbeat and ready to talk. I didn't know him in Vietnam but met him at the reunion. I am happy that I had the privilege to become his friend and brother. He will never be forgotten and will always be in our hearts and memories.
Keith Eaton
I had hoped to see Gene at the last reunion. I think he was my last
track driver. Hope he is getting a full military funeral. My
thoughts and prayers are with his family.
"Charlie Brown"
Bob,
it is truely a sad day for the brotherhood. We will all miss Gene. This brings home the need to attend all reunions that you can. You never know when iot coulod be the last time to see or talk to our brothers.
Zero
I don't know why -- but I saved this email from Gene. I see it now as a tribute to what he believed in and who he was. Perhaps the Troop could make a donation in his name? Maybe we can discuss at the business meeting?
To our brother Gene.
Smitty
--- On Tue, 2/23/10, CLARKGENE7@aol.com <CLARKGENE7@aol.com> wrote:
From: CLARKGENE7@aol.com <CLARKGENE7@aol.com>
Subject: Sitrep: Fwd: Attention fellow Nam vets...
To: 412Troopers@topica.com
Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 3:05 PM
-----Original Message-----
From: admin@lznam.com
To: Gene Clark <clarkgene7@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Feb 23, 2010 1:15 pm
Subject: Attention fellow Nam vets...
Dear Brothers...This is truly a worthy cause. Let's not let our sacrifices of
that far away place disappear with our passing. Let's always keep that fire
burning for generations to come...we all earned it!
Bill Di Dio
LZ NAM
www.lznam.com
71st AHC
1st Avn Bde
68-69
A note from actor Tom Selleck
From: Tom Selleck <tom_selleck@buildthecenter.org>
Subject: Tom Selleck: Help me Build the Center at The Wall
Date: Monday, February 22, 2010, 6:04 PM
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial — The Wall — is the most visited memorial in our
nation's capital and a powerful symbol of courage and sacrifice. An exciting new
project will make the stories behind the 58,261 names on The Wall come to life
to ensure they are never forgotten.
Nearly half of the visitors to The Wall were born after the Vietnam War. To
them, the names cut in the smooth black granite have no context, there is no
connection. The new Education Center at The Wall will enhance the visitor
experience for young and old alike, and honor the values of service demonstrated
by all those who have served in our country's armed forces.
Already approved by Congress, the Education Center will be an underground
state-of-the-art facility on the National Mall. It will feature photos of those
named on The Wall, a chronology of the conflict, and a selection of the more
than 100,000 personal items that have been left at The Wall in memory of those
who gave their lives for their country.
The Education Center will give generations to come a deeper appreciation of the
courage, sacrifice and devotion of those who fell, those who returned and those
who waited.
Please join me and General Colin Powell, our Honorary Campaign Chairman, in
making the Education Center at The Wall a reality.
The Education Center is funded exclusively with private donations, so we need
your help. Please consider supporting this important effort by making a donation
today.
Together we can build a place that provides future generations with a better
understanding of the meaning of service, sacrifice and courage. Visit
www.BuildTheCenter.org for more information.
Tom Selleck
National Spokesman
The Calvary Baptist church is actually in Chicago, Not in Calumet City. Sorry for the mix up. We will have a good representation from the Troop. Linda and I, Ken Dye and hopefully Dave and Val Larson and Bob and Diane Rebbec. I will send a report as soon as I can upon my return. For those out there still thinking about attending a Reunion, please don't wait any longer. The Troop wants to see you before you go to Fiddler's Green.
Rag
A fine gentleman, so evident from all his posts, and a great embodyment of the values we all treasure among the brotherhood and which we all are grateful to have experienced through a trying time of honorable service to our country. His family will surely miss him, but perhaps be comforted by the knowledge of how highly he was, and is, respected and remembered by the Troop.
Hank Gregor
Fellow Troopers and Brothers,
Today Gene Clark was laid to his final rest. After a 10 year battle with cancer that he kept from all but his wife Lee, Gene finally gave it up.
Ken Dye, Jim Rinaldi, Dave Larson, and Al Christine, all who served with Gene in country, were there to wish him eternal peace. Keith and Linda Eaton, Sue Christine, and I proudly joined them.
The service was wonderful, warm, heart moving, and filled with love. We were welcomed as family, in fact I couldn't count the people that thanked us for coming. But when I think about it--how many people have folks come from Washington state, Delaware, Ohio, Wisconsin, New York, and Illinois to see them off? Our Cav bond is special and Gene Clark was a special man.
Jim Rinaldi gave a small invocation that wet everyone's eye; he told me it "came to him" in the night before. I do believe he was inspired.
I hesitate to say it was a wonderful day because losing Gene is so very sad and painful, but as Gene looked down on us all saying our heartfelt goodbyes....I believe he smiled.
The caring and love that I felt radiating today is hard to explain. I visited with the funeral director some, he's a military vet too. He said he has found many soldiers from all wars share a bond that is different than any other. Different than friends and family...not better, just different in a good way.
Sooooo, if you haven't been to a reunion, or haven't been in a while, get off your ass and GO!!! Our time is shorter than we want to admit. Tomorrow may never come. I knew Gene only from our reunions, but he was a brother of mine that I loved and will cherish forever.
2nd Plt
A Trp 4/12 Cav
RVN 69-70
