Greg Vodak
(brother of shipmate, Mike)

Greg and Mike Vodak the day before Greg left for Vietnam.
This is a brief story about how Greg was wounded and Mike got to see him.

Greg Vodak, USMC (click to enlarge)

USMC telegram advising of wounding (click to enlarge)

Hospital ship transporting Greg (click to enlarge) This is USS Repose. Greg was taken by USS Sanctuary

Recuperating in Japan (click to enlarge)

Mike's story, "In May of 1967 I was told my brother was wounded. I told the captain and he done everything to track him down. We finally found out he had been transferred to a hospital in Yokohama. The captain put in at Sasebo, got me train tickets for the 23 hour ride to the hospital and told me they would be back in one week to pick me up. I will never forget what they done for me."

Mike related to me on the phone, "My brother was building bridges about a mile from the base. One morning, while riding in front of the truck on the way to work, a Viet Cong sniper shot the driver and the man on Greg's right. While jumping out of the truck into the elephant grass, Greg was hit several times in the knee . The Viet Cong were about a foot away from him while searching the area but didn't find him. A man in the back of the truck ran the mile back to the base and brought help."