Robert Bessette
I'd like to respectfully send my condolences to Jimmy's family and friends. I just received the news of his passing today.
I met Jimmy as a soldier in Vietnam. He arrived about a month after I did. At first, we were riflemen but soon grew tired of walking point and performing all sorts of details. Some openings came up for the machine gun team for which Jimmy and I volunteered for. He became the machine gunner, and I was his ammo bearer. We were always together as teammates. Jimmy and I would pass the time by talking about cars as we were both car guys. I had never been to Nashville, so he told me a lot about it. He would tell me things like he would occasionally see Roy Orbison driving by in his Corvette. I thought that was so cool as I was a big fan of Roy's. Jimmy and I fought side-by-side until I was promoted to a position in the rear. I think Lysle Mathews replaced me as ammo bearer. Jimmy gave me his civilian clothes he wore while on R&R to take back to the states when I went home and I sent them to the address he provided. I wrote to him a few times but never received a reply. I have fond thoughts and memories of Jim and will keep him in my prayers.
Here is a link to a uTube video that if you stop at 35-36 seconds in, the three guys you see from left to right are: me, Hector Hernandez, and Jimmy on the left. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLnImuOzCAE
Here are some photos I have of him from Vietnam: Jimmy looking at Nui Ba Dinh while riding in a Huey Helicopter; Jimmy and Sgt. Lowell Brown; Jimmy at an awards ceremony in Tay Ninh base camp; Jimmy and I just before heading out on a mission taken at Fire Support Base Crook circa 1970.
