I came back to Oklahoma with our children, and Ken went back to the war.  Six more months to do.

He took command of a squadron in Nam.  I think it was VMA 311, but I don't really remember for sure.  The problem with being in control of a squadron is that you get to  choose when you want to fly.  At least I thought it was a problem, because when some young Second Lt. was assigned a hop that was going to be treacherous, Ken replaced him.  He felt he had "been there" in Korea and he had a better chance of surviving.  (I didn't know about that either, until it was all over.)

I think God probably saved his life. Because after a very short time,  a new commander of the group gave Ken's squadron to one of his old buddies.  Ken was furious.  Absolutely raging that he had been reassigned.  Especially after the General told him that it had been done without him knowing or approving it.  The new squadron commander didn't last long, however.  He was inexperienced in the airplane and before two weeks were up he had killed over fifty friendlies on the ground. You don't learn how to fly an airplane in war without having the correct experience.

But God took care of Ken.  He took the job as Operations Officer for the group.  General Anderson asked for him personally, so Ken had six months to cool off.  And he was in control of all of the different squadron's flights so he could fly anything he wanted anytime he wanted.  But he was still furious.

I wrote him and told him that he should probably cut Romans 8:28 out of his Bible because  it obviously wasn't working for him.  He read it, and never forgot what I had said in that letter.  Through the years he quoted what I had written many times.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  Even disappointments.

Like I said, I think God saved his life.