Friends since the Vietnam War, Bill Hoff and James Abram walk in the Jefferson Community Memorial Day parade.
Back in 1965, when Abram got to An Khe in South Vietnam, he was scared. They had little in common, the black man from South Carolina and the white man from Jefferson, but that didn't matter. "I just gravitated toward Bill," Abram said. "I needed a friend. He was withdrawn and didn't want to talk. I made it my business to talk to him"
It's not that Hoff had anything against Abram. Before they went to Vietnam, their boot camp instructors warned them not to get too close to anyone.
If you made a close friend and he got killed, they were told, that could mess you up. You wouldn't be able to concentrate, and you'd be a danger to yourself and the men serving with you.
Leave a comment