Took me until now to share what few people know about that weekend before Bruce's tradgic accident that took him from us.   For many years prior I religiously attended a Biker event in Brooksville FL at the sertoma young camp campgrounds. put on by the Hillsborough county abate called "Spooks and Scoots". A 3 day  memorial run and gathering of bikers to celebrate and remember the lives of Lost brothers and sisters. Bruce had never been to it and badly wanted to go. So we left Friday and camped out there. Saturday night they had the usual activities, a ceremony carrying two coffins to the stage with a man and woman killed by a careless cage driver. Once on the stage they step out with wings and speak to each about the accident that took their lives. Then get back in and are carried off. Bruce wandered away during this and I spotted him standing against a vendors booth watching alone off to the left part of the stage, then as it ended I looked and he was gone. I walked back to the camp site and he was there. He was sitting by the fire quietly and obviously moved  by the ceremony but  I convinced him to walk back up to the stage area because the band was ready to play for the usual "death dance" that always followed the ceremony and some people would wear masks and dress up in Halloween type costumes. I always dressed as a witch but this year I was a witch in mourning with a black veil on my witches hat which I thought was appropriate for a memorial.  We even danced our first and last dance to a slow song! I have that picture. Following the death dance was the usual uncut "beauty contest" on the stage which he definitely enjoyed a lot! Later back at the camp site we were all sitting around the fire talking about our lost loved ones and Bruce interrupted the conversation and said.. HEY IF I DIE TOMORROW I DON'T EVEN HAVE DRESS BLUES TO BE BURIED IN!  I shrugged it off and said, don't talk about that, you're not going anywhere. That was Saturday nite. His accident happened that Monday afternoon after he left my house around 230. My sister was visiting from new York for family support after losing her son to an overdose and finding him in his room the morning of August 30th 2011 and he left so I could spend time with her. We stayed up late calling hospital s police and everyone because he never called me when he got home Monday which was very wierd and not like him. She had to tell me he was gone when I woke up Tuesday morning after she got the call from my brother Jack. She sat me down on the couch and put both hands on my face and said look at me.  Bruce is gone. I won't go into my reaction but to this day I'm haunted by his words Saturday night. He knew. 

Happy to share with his family that I had my 19th birthday on May 4,1969 in the company of my friend Bruce while on board a CH-46 helicopter out of AnHoa combat base. We had finished a short indoctrination school for "new boots" and were joining our respective units who were both on operations in the "arizona". I told Bruce this was a heck of a place to celebrate a birthday,and just a few minutes later I was dropped off at Fox Company and he went on to his unit. Saw him again later back at base. He was a gunner and had gotten that bush look.
Glad I got to know Bruce.

I was in Fox Co in Vietnam,can't remember which Co Bruce was in,but we all remember these months in 69. It was all just a matter of where you happened to be on a given day.On Mothers Day,May 12th I think it was , the whole battallion was on operation Taylor Common. About 2pm Fox Co started taking mortar fire,just half a click away,Echo and Golf Co's were locked in bitter firefights. I saw Bruce sometime late that day as we were carring our dead to the LZ. I remember how suddenly old we were and how we just wanted to get back home. We were suddenly old guys who no longer had laughing and grab---ing to do. I saw Bruce again on June 6 when my company got attacked at AnHoa. I lost 4 out of my squad,including my squad leader. It was barely daylight on June 7 and some Marines were coming to replace us. I was simply dog tired-worn out-sick-bloody-puking-crying when Bruce came up to me and said,,,, Crutch,, You probably need to get used to this stuff,,we gonna be here a while. My Co lost 44 and his Co lost 26 in May 69. We grew up. He made me feel better.I'll remember him till I see him again. Semper Fi