According to one of Rene’s brothers:
Rene has been living in the woods for about 5 years up on Long Island. I’m sure it has to do with “post stress” from Khe Sanh. However he is healthy and seems content living that way.
+++
Thanks Al
I will try to explain further how I lost touch with the Santerre family, but then maybe at the reunion. I mean I am much better at “talking the talk!” than I am writing excuses etc…. n any event thanks for understanding things!
Hmm? Ha!
Semper Fidelis – Mr. Good Fella
Serious As far as I am concerned our – USMC is also known as the “Good Guy Gangsters!” Serious. If you want to disagree with me, you will
have to come to San Antoine,Texas and once we are there, I will destroy you with words from Smedley Butler!
Hmm?
SF
+++
From: <Alan Green>
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 6:44 PM
Subject: RE: Rene Santerre was my 3rd FO Hill 700
Outstanding, Smitty. Let’s see if we can get him out of the woods long enough for a reunion.
S/F
-Alan
From: Eric Smith
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 4:56 PM
To: <email addresses>
Subject: Rene Santerre was my 3rd FO Hill 700
Al
Here is an email I got from Robin Santerre regarding his brother Rene who was my 3rd FO on that Hill 700
Subj: Re: rsantere
Date: 1/4/99 6:55:50 PM EST
From: Rsanterre
To: S8969
Eric,
I’m Rene’s brother. I signed the Khe Sahn guestbook hoping to find some of the guys that Rene knew in Khe Sanh.It’s great to hear from you. He gave me some names to check out and William Parker was one of them. He told me he was his best friend and that he got killed sometime late in 68.I will forward your e-mail to his son who sees him on a regular basis.Rene has been living in the woods for about 5 years up on Long Island. I’m sure it has to do with post stress from Khe Sanh.However he is healthy and seems content living that way.
He is still one tough Dude. Touche Bob!
You make a good point there. As it is true that people that put there lives on the line, do get more respect! Whereas other people who like to report the news dont get the same repect.
Hmm?
Anyway
SF
PS
When I say respect I am not talking about “EDITORS” respect etc!
But then, what do I know?
. He will be delighted that we have made contact and I’m sure he will be getting in touch with you. Meanwhile let’s keep in touch with each other and maybe you guys can check on some old friends together. I know he will be really excited to hear from you
Yeah Yada yeah!
+++
Al
I lost touch with Rene’s family back then, and it happened because I was very careless with my Internet writing. Point is, I said something stupid, and I never was able to talk to Rene or his son or his Brother Robin after that. Maybe you can try to get to them.
Hmm?
But then Rene’s brother Robin was Army and perhaps he felt a need to hold a grudge against me or something like that. I will have to explain later at the reunion. Believe me I am really disappointed at my stupid behavior but what can you do? All I had to do was DELETE one word but it forgot to do my house keeping.
PS
Rene was a Marine but two of his brothers were in the Army but the most important thing was that they all did time in Vietnam. I know of a lot of families that had two guys in Nam (my Brother Steve went right after I got home) but I cant say I ever met a family that had three sons go off to war.
Anyway I am so disappointed in myself that I couldn’t have hooked up with these great guys and Rene’s son Chris. Serious Al. This alone causes me so much guilt that it is enough to make me say fuck it all etc etc etc
However
SF
To:<email addresses>
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 3:47 PM
Subject: RE: Sgt.Carl Ballard (USMC) and Tony Conigliaro (Boston Red Sox) 5
Smitty, I should have known you’d have these clips in your archive. Way to go.
S/F
-Alan
From: Eric Smith
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 2:39 PM
To: <email addresses>
Subject: Re: Sgt.Carl Ballard (USMC) and Tony Conigliaro (Boston Red Sox) 5
Forget the Books and the Stories and the Command Chronologies! If I were more organized I should be able to write at least a couple of books about our 81s Platoon and all I would need is the information from all of the E-mail Information that we send to each other. But then perhaps I was born to be an Observer! Hmm? Oh Well. I hope someone here will be able to gather adn organize this material and write something better than I can do.
Anyway below are some emails from me and Larry which go back a ways. I will have more later!
+++
Larry
I was really sad to hear about Carl’s death when you told me about him dying which was almost eight years ago. Here is what you said at the time and it seems that it was just a couple of years ago but it was almost eight years ago. JHFC! I am afraid of death!
Subject: The old Corps
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 21:49:50 EDT
From: LBallardII@NOSPAMaol.com
Eric I’m glad you are doing well. I am new to this (my wife is helping me
into the 21 st. cen.) and you are the first person I have sent mail to with a
return address. I was talking to Ray S. last year and when he learned that I
was facing blindness he told me that when we were at Khe Sanh he was most
concern about losing his eyes while he knew that most of us marines were
concerned about losing our family jewels including yours truly. Well, I’ve
lost my eye sight but one of the few things I can see to do is with this
machine for now. I haven’t told him yet after having lost his father.
Pat Sullivan went down to Costa Rica for last winter. Sent me a post card with
what appeared to be an R&R center for us old marines. I talked to him a few
weeks ago and he is going back this fall. Guess the combat in R.I. must be
heavy.
Papa Bear (Sgt. Lord & Master Carl Ballard is still alive and working as a
U.S.Marshall in downtown D.C. he took two bullets as a D.C.cop. I’ve tried
to get him to join the unit. I took him to the 1997 reunion in DC.C. and he had
a good time. I took lots of pictures out side the Marine Barracks 8th& I
before it rained on us. I was stationed there after the war until 1971 and
had always planed on going back but did not until that night. Few things had
changed at the old post except the marines looked so young. Did we look so
young? I recall one event at 8th &I in which we had a parade for the old
former marines who were in the 26th Marines at Was Iwo Jima. At that time I
though that these old veterans who I had worshiped since childhood looked so
old. So when we were honned at the barracks that night I wondered if the
young marines on parade though the same of us. Law Enforcement or not they
would not let Papa Bear or Baby Bear on post with our weapons so we had to
check them at the guard shack. Papa Bear really enjoyed the night but I still
can’t get him to join. So tell me where is 2/26? With exception of E company we seem to be missing.
Well, time to go out on the L.P., its getting dark. Since I know what I’m
doing now I’ll write more often.
Semper Fi Larry
Ballard II (Baby Bear)
+++
Then Larry wrote me again, wrote:
Eric, CARL Ballard just died. I cannot get my key board to work properly so I don’t know if my information got out. More on this very soon.
+++
Still, the obituary somehow makes me even sadder. I mean even after eight years of knowing about Carl being dead, the words from the Obituary seemed to make it so final.
Although I really didn’t know Papa Bear or you (Baby Bear) either, I do have a fond memory of Carl which has always made me feel that I had something in common with him besides being part of the 81s Platoon. I have probably told you (Larry) this story on the phone or in an email, but just to get it out to the other guys I will try it one more time:
Back around November of 1967 Tony Conigliaro came to Phu Bai to visit the troops. He was part of a USO tour group that included Joe DiMaggio and a few other guys. At the time Tony C was with Jerry Coleman who was a former Yankee and who was one of the radio announcers for the World Series As far as Joe DiMaggio goes? I only read about him on the internet recently. Here is just a bit from what I have read, but at least it get’s my month of November correct
November: Joe spends seventeen days and nights touring American positions in Vietnam with Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds, Tony Conigliaro of the Boston Red Sox and Jerry Coleman, his former teammate on the Yankees. “Let me assure you,” he said upon returning. “Those kids out there have guts.”
Anyway Tony C and Jerry Coleman and a few others were out behind the Phu Bai barracks talking to about ten or fifteen Marines when I ran into the them. I was called in from the field for some reason or another, but cant recall what it was. But as I was heading back to the 81s area I ran into these guys gathered around a few people.
On October 21, 1968, he (Carl) joined the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department where he was assigned as a foot-patrolman to the 10th precinct (now 4th District). On October 22, 1988 he retired after twenty years of service. His last tour of duty was with the 4th District’s Tactical Squad where he received numerous letters of commendation from his immediate Commanding Officers, the Chief of Police, Mayor, and citizens for his superior performance on a day-to-day basis, as well as, in crisis situations.
These dates are getting to me. Oct 21st was the day I left for home and it was also the day they had a memorial service for the guys that died up in the DMZ. Including LZ Margo. Of course Dates and Names are no big deal as there are so many of them. Right? Wrong? It all depends on how you feel.
Still, these days, all of these names adn dates are cause for something. Celebration? Dedications? Or some kind of a Ceremony. Even if you are at a reunion and you just raise a glass and make a toast to one of your former comrades from the Nam. I think that is worth something? What say you guys?
So I saw Sgt Ballard talking to Tony C and apparently Carl was a big sports or baseball fan, as he seemed to be doing a lot of talking plus it seemed that no one else could get a word in. Ha. Just my impression of course but Papa Bear seemed to be taking charge of the interview making sure he got most of the time talking to Tony and Jerry Coleman. Ha.
I wanted to say Hello to Tony C, as not only was he a Red Sox slugger but he was also home grown, and grew up just a few miles from where I live now in Revere. Plus since Tony C had got beaned in August and so he missed the World Series with the Cardinals, and in my mind he was another unsung hero. I mean he almost died from the fast ball he took on the head from Jack Hamilton of the Angels and now just a few months later he was over in Vietnam going to visit troops both in the barracks and on the Hospital ships.
Still, at the time, I was a new guy and was a little shy of interfering with a Sgt and so I just stayed at the perimeter listening. From what I heard it looked like the grunts and Sgt Ballard wanted to know about baseball, whereas Tony C wanted to know about combat etc. I remember him asking some grunts about being in ambushes etc. Anyway these are the only thoughts I have of Carl Ballard as I was never under his command, and later I was out with Golf so I never really got to know much about him.
Of course maybe Larry (Baby Bear) Ballard will tell us more about Papa Bear. I would have loved to have met Carl Ballard just once so I could have talked to him about Tony Conigliaro and baseball and other things as well, but the next best thing would be to talk to someone that really knew him.
Semper Fidelis
PS
Does anyone have a picture of Carl Ballard? If so, let me know. I have some photos of Tony Conigliaro but none of Carl Ballard
From: Alan Green
To:<email addresses>
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 11:33 AM
Subject: RE: Sgt.Carl Ballard (USMC)
Larry, thanks for sharing this obit. Carl was a good Marine NCO — and a good DC cop. How about sharing the stories of his close shaves “on the job”?
S/F
-Alan
From: LBallardII
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 8:53 PM
To: <email addresses>
Subject: Re: Sgt.Carl Ballard (USMC)
Hey Guys,
I located my copy of Carl Ballard’s obituary and just wanted to share it with you. Notice that he died November 11, 2002, one day after celebrating the Marine Corps’ birthday.
Semper Fidelis,
Larry Ballard
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
OBITUARY
CARL BALLARD, SR.
Carl Ballard, Sr. was born December 3, 1940 to the late Ethel and Dave Bollard in Chicago, Illinois where he graduated from Grain High School with commendations for his superior service to the school programs. He was the eldest of fourteen children.
In 1960, he enlisted in the United States Marines Corp where he was awarded medals for National Defense Service, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign and Good Conduct (twice), as well as, a Presidential Unit Citation for his service during the Vietnam Crisis. He was honorably discharged in 1968, with the rank of Sergeant. He relocated to Washington, D.C.
On October 21, 1968, he joined the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department where he was assigned as a foot-patrolman to the 10th precinct (now 4th District). On October 22, 1988 he retired after twenty years of service. His last tour of duty was with the 4th District’s Tactical Squad where he received numerous letters of commendation from his immediate Commanding Officers, the Chief of Police, Mayor, and citizens for his superior performance on a day-to-day basis, as well as, in crisis situations.
In October 1988, he entered service as a United States Marshall. At the time of his death, his assignment post was in the District of Columbia Superior Court.
During his life, he gave of himself to help others by serving as a volunteer with Project Head Start and as a Family Intervention Counselor.
He was an active member of the Church of the Nativity, Washington, D.C., where he served as Vice President of the Choir for many years. He was, also, active in other church organizations (e.g.Bingo). In 1983, he was admitted into the Knights of Columbus where he was elevated to a 4th Degree Knight.
He was an adamant Redskins fan. On game day, he could be seen “coaching” the team and sending signals from the stands. He loved gardening. Many admired his horticultural talent. His green thumb and fruits of labor will be enjoyed for years to come.
Suddenly on November 11, 2002, in Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island, the Lord called our loved one home. He leaves to mourn hiss loss, a devoted wife Marlene; sons Carl Ballard, Jr. and Michael Ballard of Washington, D.C.; brothers Raymond, Robert, Frank (Connie), and Gary (Carolyn); and sisters Maryanne, Delia, Clarissa (William), all of Chicago, Illinois. He was predeceased by brothers Michael and Wesley and sisters Zellene, Roseanne, Francine and Grace, all of Chicago, Illinois. Many other relatives and friends mourn his loss.
WHEN THE TRIAL OF LIFE MAKES YOU WEARY AND YOUR TROUBLES SEEM TOO MUCH TO BEAR, THERE IS A WONDERFUL SOLACE AND COMFORT IN THE SILENT COMMUNION OF PRAYER.
The Family
