This memoir is dedicated to the memory of Larry Pypniowski (Ski), who served and died in a place and under circumstances, most of us can only imagine in our worst nightmare.
Forty-six years have passed and I still search for answers. From the time he joined the U.S. Army on June 14, 1968 for basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., to Infantry training at Fort Gordon Georgia, and Paratrooper School at Fort Benning, Georgia. And finally, his tour of duty in Vietnam from January 10, 1969 and the series of events that took place there, that led to my brother’s death on September 16, 1969.
He was an army paratrooper with the 173 Airborne Brigade internally torn between doing a job he was sent to do and getting home to his family and friends once again. He initially believed the war in Vietnam was morally correct, but after time began to doubt the reason for a continuation of this madness.
A prodigious letter writer, he leaves behind dozens of letters with a detailed written description of what he did see and hear, that comes alive with such a consistency of energy and enthusiasm. The simple eloquence in his letters conveys the physical and emotional demands on Larry during his tour of duty there that were so intense, the only outcome was one of his eventual death. Yet he remained upbeat, fearless, and brave throughout. In the end, he was a worn down, tired, sickly 20-year-old soldier. Yet, he continued to be sent out in the field, exposed to harm’s way. I leave it to you the reader, to read letters in his own words, and decide what went wrong that ended his life in such a tragic way.
Because his diary was unfortunately misplaced over the years, I had to follow his journey in Vietnam through the record accounts of the 173rd Airborne Brigade I found in my research. And with the help of his letters, I was able to construct what I believe gives Larry his story of what he went through and honors that part of his life that should not and will not go untold.
This memoir is in honor of my brother Larry, and all the men of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
The chapters in this memoir contain most of Larry’s letters, unchanged for the most part, with some punctuation added for understanding. Spelling is generally left as written. I left as much as possible of the chosen text to capture the essence of Larry’s personality and writing style.
They Called Him "SKI" 