transquebecniece ------ I didn't get it from Roy that he couldn't swim.......that I got second-hand. Regardless of whether he could or not, Harrison Lake, BC can be one cold body of water and he would have started to "seize-up" real quick. The story about Laos was told to me by Rodger as I mentioned. I put veracity in the story because that aptly described the Roy I knew, plus we had "touched" on a few places and incidents from those days. I say "touched" because I had also did 2 tours myself and one always keeps to "people stories", a/c stories, places you were stationed and the humour that one could always remember. There were areas that we didn't "go" in our chats about "old times" because they served no useful purpose. Roy was still "hurting", but he suffered in silence and was dealing with "it" and winning.Those types of chats were always just him, me and a bottle of "nectar of the Gods". Your uncle Roy couldn't "walk on water" by any means, but he was an excellent personality to serve time with in an isolated situation, enjoy meals with, learn something from and always was the consumate "pro". It's truly unfortunate that few in number, in the world of aviation this side of the border, got to know or meet him.
I have no idea at all where Rodger might be. He could well have returned back to the Phillipines (which I doubt) or got out of the business and be residing in Montreal . I suspect strongly that Rodger can be found working internationally for some helicopter company........or retired. He was about the same age as Roy (maybe a shade younger) and we're talking early 70's now when I last saw him. Age isn't kind to aviation folks and he might be sitting on some varanda right now drinking a shot of Mascal somewheres because his "dues are all paid up"
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The "crash bracelets" I know about first-hand. Not because I wore one, but it was well known while I served there, why Air America pilots had them.......and you are correct.....Roy "fudged" his story to save obvious explanation and resultant concerns by his relatives (that's just an educated guess).
The bracelets were 24kt pure gold. They were worth $3000 USD at 1960's gold prices.......$35 USD/troy aounce. They had the Air America crest engraved upon them so that even if someone couldn't read, they would know the crest (it mightn't have been that well known over here, but in SE Asia EVERYONE knew that crest). In the event that any aircrew were shot down and/or became a prisoner, that bracelet would "buy their freedom". There was no absolute guarantee of that, but everyone knew that gold would buy you ANYTHING during those days in SE Asia. So that bracelet was Roy's "life-line" to home because he couldn't depend on his Embassey or "Uncle Sam" to even acknowledge his existance if caught by the Pathot Lao. If you ever held it, you had no doubt that it was pure something because it was damn heavy and that's part of the reason that he wore the imitation that was made of some other sort of gray metal, quite a bit lighter and also with the Air America crest engraved on it.
I'm ashamed to say that I don't know where Roy is buried and I'm wondering if you might let me know. If it's in Minnesota, then that would be great because I ain't that far away and know the territory well.