[snopercod]

E-mail from my friend last night:

About 2 hours after you and I talked last, Tonya called me. Tad had called her.

She said that immediately after they found Alan's remains,,, one of the guys on his squadron started emailing everyone he could,,, and so like 85% of the squadron was at the services which were on Friday evening and Sat morning [at Arlington National Cemetary]. She said there were senators and congressmen there and a governor of some state too....a BUNCH of high big wigs.

She was heartbroken that you and I couldn't be there.....she said that all kinds of things are happening.........remember just the other day when you and I talked???? When I asked you how you found that particular post on FR?? And you said you don't usually go to that section but you did?? It seems like a bunch of things like that are happening. IE, Tad explained to me that due to the time difference between here and Nam,,, it was exactly 31 years almost to the hour between Clark getting shot down and the services beginning in DC. And Tonya and Tad are both Christians and Tonya was just amazed at how all this happened so fast and about how you and I tried so desperately to find her/Tad and she was cryin' on the phone,,, too.

[snip]

Anyway,,, Tonya said she did get remarried but that it didn't last and she still goes by Clark. Clark's sis is still around but his parents are gone....they were pretty old when Clark was young, already. She teaches voice and piano!!! up there near Seattle. It was weird,,,Sharon and I were sittin' out in the front yard in the sun havin' a beer and the phone rang and I ran in to get it and Tonya says' 'this is Tonya Clark',,, so I just immediately went 'la la laaaaaa'. She got it. I told her you have a tape somewhere you're trying to find of her singing that. THAT needs to be on an audio file,,, huh....post it everywhere.

So, thanks again. I did find a couple pics you took....of Clark and Tonya in the back of your Datsun parked at Foothill Gardens,,,,that's the ONLY pic I've found of those days. Also one of him shakin' hands with some navy captain or something.....I thought sure I had more,,, I gotta go through ALL my negatives.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks snopercod. Your homepage has you in NC. Not to far at all to take a drive to Arlington. ;-)

Thanks for sharing the e-mail. I'm so very glad they were able to bring Alan home and that they chose to bury him in Arlington, it's such a humbling and beautiful place to visit.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for sharing a little of Tonya with us snopercod.

I'm glad a lot of his old Squadron mates made it to the service. Sounds like Tonya is doing ok and she'll be finally be able to lay Alan to Rest. I wish her well. I know the feeling about the pictures, I could have sworn I had more of a friend of mine. It's amazing how many boxes and albums of photographs you accumulate over the years. Good luck in your hunt, each one will you find will renew a memory of a different time and place.

[in the Arena]

Thanks for sharing that personal note...