Jim and I (John) were both in the service during the Viet Nam War. I was in the USAF and Jim was in the ARMY. I enlisted in the USAF in 1961 and Jim was drafted in 1962.
I was an in-flight mechanic, after completing my training at Shepherd AF Base. I served four years with the Air Force Systems Command. Jim was assigned to radio school after he completed ARMY NCO Academy. His musical background, however, was needed and he was assigned to cemetery duty as bugler at Arlington National Cemetery.
Thank you for asking.
John G. Cunningham, '58
John Andrew Thorburn (Parrot) did not attend Hicksville High, but he might as well have...considering the number of times he was asked for a hall pass. The late Joe Guerra ('66) was his best friend. He ate lunch with everyone and generally hung out, the Charcoal Grill Diner or the pool hall etc. He was the one who told Billy Joel he needs to look for a job because he will never make it in the music business. Everybody who knew Parrot loved Parrot.
Parrot enlisted in the Army in 1964. He went into 101st Airborne and then into Green Berets. He was stationed in Germany. He returned home after 3 years and then re-upped into the Air force. He volunteered for Vietnam. He was into fields and skies of Agent Orange. Parrot was a helicopter machine gunner. Their job was to save wounded soldiers in the field or rescue them from perilous conditions; many times it was while the fighting was still going on. It was "in your face combat".
On December 8, 1969 a fellow comrade came up to Parrot. He was about to go on his last mission before heading home, a patrol needed to be rescued. He was very nervous; he felt he would not make it back. Parrot said, "Don't worry; I'll go for you, you go home". His comrade was right. Parrot's helicopter was shot down, but not before he distinguished himself by silencing the enemy and saving the patrol. He lay out there for 3 days in pain, in and out of consciousness before they found them. Their pilot was killed. When the rescue chopper landed, they looked at Parrot and he could hear someone say "this one's dead". Parrot had sustained major injuries. They picked him up and it was excruciating pain. His hip was forced further up in the socket from the impact of the crash and he had multiple injuries. John was in Saint Alban's Naval Hospital for a year. He was in a full body cast for much of it and gradual steps until he could walk with a cane. He received his medals at the hospital; he received The Conspicuous Service Cross, Two Distinguished Flying Crosses With Oak Leaf Cluster and two Citations for Outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty, 4 Air Medals And of course a Purple Heart. He receives 100% disability.
John has had 6 children. Two, Dee Dee and Maxx were born severely handicapped. They were Microcephalic, (Small brain) they did not advance mentally past 8 months old. Dee Dee was born in 1982, she was only supposed to live a few days, but she did survive, the doctors then said she would never be a teenager, Dee Dee died last month, she was 25 years old. Max was born in 1991, he was worse than Dee Dee, he was also blind. 6 years ago Maxx died at the age of 10 unexpectedly. John and his wife never put their children into an institution, they cared for them. Their children could not speak or walk they could only laugh or cry...they laughed a lot. John's daughter Lisa gave John his first grandchild, Vincent, in 1991. Vincent was born with a rare muscle disease. He died when he was not quite 6 months old.
Parrot, my brother was just diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in one lung and stage 3 in the other. Did I mention Agent Orange?
Now the reason I am writing, a few of John's friends and family got together and gave him and his wife Dee a benefit dinner on July 14th. A few of his old friends from Hicksville High surprised him. Hank Guerra ('61) Charlie Moone ('67), Jimmy Lean ('67), Vinny Feruzzi ('67) and Mark Joosten ('66). Parrot said he felt like he was in an episode of Cold Case. He also said it was like attending his own funeral.
If anyone else would like to help this amazing veteran and his family you can contribute to:
Bobby Hull Insurance Co
48 Nesconset Hwy
Pt. Jefferson Sta., NY 11776
Joyce (Thorburn) Jurgensen ('67)
Status of the Vietnam Era Service Project
Recently, there began an effort to collect and create some form of recognition for those members of the Hicksville community that served in the military during the Vietnam Era.
The effort is focusing on high school alumni as a cache of information and data that can be sources to add to our collection of names. The purpose of this writing is to report to you, the High School alumni, and the status of that project as we continue "to move down range". I expect to be able to report to you several times a year and publish the "work in progress" as we move toward some identifiable date and place to present the list and pour the metal plaque. As I mention to all previously, the plaque will contain names, service affiliation, location of service, e.g. RVN, CONUS, Atlantic (Navy Service members), and if they were WIA or KIA. The later group we have gone over several times and hope by the time this project is completed, we have it correct; it is up to you the readers, to help us with this task. We are including Service in the US Army; US Navy; US Air Force; USMC; and USCG.
To date we have collected some 48 names and service information, a far cry from what I expect the actuality to be for Hicksville residents. With the class of 1962 graduating more than 500 in June of that year, it is difficult for me to believe that by 1968 we did not have 200 or more in uniform of some form. The point is, we have to dig deeper to turn up the names and find more sources to help us achieve this goal; Article written for locate veterans periodicals and newsletters is one source. For example, I know local resident Connie Steers from the Vietnam Veterans of America is a source, yet he has not come up for air and offered to help. We need to contact folks like him to help assembled the list of those that served.
One of the issues I face is we cannot just put a name on the list without second source confirmation of service. For example, it is known that Arizonians John Ziegler served in the US Army in Germany during the era, and Daniel Kniter served in the USCG. It is unconfirmed that Dr. Pat Alia of Ft Lauderdale served in RVN with the US Army and was WIA. All need to be confirmed through a second source to be added. We don't want to miss someone or put a name on the plaque if they actually did not serve. I believe we cannot have too many names on the plaque (s), the more we get the better the task we will have accomplished.
Please keep those cards and letters coming...emails too.
Your fellow alumnus,
Ken Strafer
Fairfax, Virginia 22032
