On Wednesday afternoon, two friends who both served as Green Berets during the Vietnam War reunited after a 52 year hiatus. At 73 years old, Lake Havasu City resident Mike Sondrol and George Bearpaw of Tucson shared a lunch in the lakeside town to remember the times they spent together in the war.
At the age of 19, Sondrol was drafted into the U.S. Army in February 1969, later qualifying as a Green Beret. His military time was cut short when he suffered from a serious injury that left the lower half of his body paralyzed.
The year prior, Bearpaw voluntarily made the decision to become a soldier in the Army. As an 18-year-old high school graduate, the Oklahoma native received his basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana where he became acquainted with a special forces recruiter.
Signing the papers to commit himself as a Green Beret, Bearpaw was then transferred to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Once there, he attended advanced individual training to become a medic.
After training, Bearpaw awaited his orders for Vietnam, but became assigned to Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver due to his medical background.
Shortly before Bearpaw relocated to the hospital, his orders for Fort Benning, Georgia were received. These orders enabled Bearpaw to attend the base’s jump school where he eventually earned his qualification to join the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group.
Due to the disbanding of the 3rd group, Bearpaw switched over to the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group. Once in his new unit, Bearpaw volunteered to deploy to Vietnam.
Discovery of a Lifelong Friend
During his time in Vietnam, Sondrol befriended Bearpaw and the two embarked on their special forces training at the MACV Recondo School in 1970. On Wednesday, the two soldiers reminisced about the camaraderie they shared together during their downtime from their courses.
With their sights set high, Bearpaw spoke of the 35-foot towers he and Sondrol would rappel from. Other instances found Bearpaw handling M60s, AK-47s, M16s and, his personal favorite, a P38 semi-automatic pistol with a silencer.
“The weapons that we had were a variation of all kinds,” Bearpaw said. “We had a lot of good times trying to shoot some of those things.”
Despite the daily interactions the two men shared, they went their separate ways after Bearpaw’s discharge in 1971. Upon his release, Bearpaw received a Bronze Star Medal as well as an Army Commendation Medal for his service during the Vietnam War.
A few months later, Sondrol would sustain his life-altering injury after he came in contact with a mortar round. This incident ultimately changed the course of his life.
In January 1972, Sondrol received his honorable discharge from the Army. He was permanently confined to his wheelchair by the late ‘90s.
Reunification of Vietnam soldiers
About seven years ago, Bearpaw made contact with Sondrol through the online platform of Facebook. At the time, he was employed with the U.S. Department of Interior as a budget analyst for Indian tribes, Bearpaw says.
After his retirement in 2021, Bearpaw relocated to Tucson – a distance of over 300 miles from his friend in Havasu.
A chance meeting happened when Bearpaw communicated with Sondrol about an upcoming trip he would be making to Kingman. With Havasu being an hour from the northern city, Bearpaw arranged for the two to meet.
On Wednesday, Sondrol and Bearpaw reunited after spending 52 years apart from one another.
“Just to see him come walking around the corner of my garage,” Sondrol said. “He made it and that was the main thing.”
Despite his limited mobility, Sondrol introduced his longtime friend to Havasu by taking him to the city’s sights. The war comrades ended their sightseeing with an afternoon lunch at Mudshark Brewery and Public House, where they received praise from customers for their time in the service.
The reunion allowed for both men to conjure up shared memories, including names of fellow soldiers who met their fate in Vietnam.
Along with shared moments came the universal heartbreak that followed when both men returned to the states in the early ‘70s. Sondrol and Bearpaw both remember the treatment soldiers received upon their arrival home.
Decades later, the men witnessed firsthand the change that came about regarding the public’s treatment of veterans when an anonymous patron paid for their meal on Wednesday.
“They were just degrading us, calling us names. We didn’t have a home to go to. It seemed like we weren’t even welcomed home,” Bearpaw said. “Things have really changed now. Even there (at Mudshark), when they buy you a meal, that’s a big swing from when we came home.”
The reunion between Sondrol and Bearpaw evoked many memories – pleasant and unpleasant – that the two were able to share together.
Even though it has been 52 years since the two men last met, the connection and bond between Sondrol and Bearpaw was present and unbroken.
“You know, talking on the phone, texting or Facebook is fine, but face to face after many years,” Sondrol said. “Today it happened… After all that time.”
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