Three Vietnam Vets Reunite After Four Decades

Life long Wise County resident Paul Mullins served in Vietnam in the Spring of 1967. Since then he has spent the better part of twenty years trying to locate men he served with.  Ten years ago he actually ran across one war buddy, Layton Drew, while at the VA Hospital in Johnson City.  He’s kept in touch with Drew constantly, but he always wondered what happened to some of the other soldiers.
  Just recently, he located one of the those men through a website dedicated to the men and women of the 35th Infantry.  What made this find so exciting for Mullins, was that the soldier, David Crocker, was with Mullins when he nearly lost his hand after an explosive. 
  On Wednesday, the two vets were reunited once again.  Although it was more then 40-years ago, Crocker says he still remembers the day of Mullin’s accident vividly. “I just heard a loud scream when he capped one off in his hand, the screaming has never left me, I hear it on a regular basis, you just don’t forget.“ said Crocker.
  As Mullins was being loaded onto the helicopter to be flown to a hospital, He said something to Crocker that always stuck with him. “I wanted to go home, but not like this”. said Mullins.
  The men spent the better part of Wednesday talking about their days in Vietnam, on Thursday, Layton Drew drove in from Kentucky to spend time with the men.  While serving, they didn’t know each other very well, but because of what they went through a brotherhood formed, and carried over decades later. “It was a union that was forged under fire, its hard to separate.“ said Mullins.
  Cathy Mullins, Paul’s wife, honored each man by giving them a flower and card.
  Although the three men agree, this reunion was important to them, they say it also stirs up a lot of difficult memories. “I still live with it everyday”. said Mullins.