Former service members toured Durango Botanic Gardens on Monday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their service on the USS Edwards in Vietnam.
The veterans and their partners strolled through the newly added Literary Gardens to enjoy a day in the sun.
All four members were Navy fire control technicians on the USS Edwards. The group has been visiting different places across the country to celebrate for the past 22 years.
“Basically, a few guys on the East Coast thought it would be cool if we all got together, and so they started sending out emails announcing when and where we’re going to gather,” said Navy veteran Don Sims.
The group chose Durango because it was a central location relative to where they were all from. The veterans hailed from states across country including California, West Virginia, Washington and Oklahoma.
Sims said there are 260 members in the group, many of whom wanted to go to San Diego. But the group had already been to San Diego previously, and others wanted to explore somewhere new, making Durango an opportune destination.
While there was some pushback from others about visiting Durango, the group was happy with its decision. The group was blown away at all the activities Durango had to offer on such a small scale.
They spent an hour touring the gardens with the Botanic Gardens’ docents where they asked questions and learned about the various flowers and plants. Sims enjoyed the layout of the garden and how it was neatly organized, while another veteran, Ben Smith, was fixated on a container used in the garden.
“I like the container because now I know what I can buy at home to play with tomatoes,” he said.
After taking in all the gardens had to offer, the veterans sat around picnic tables to talk about their history while sharing a few laughs.
When asked if he could share any interesting stories from his service, Navy veteran Worthy Paul jokingly said, “None we can tell.”
Paul found it interesting that most people did not know the Navy was involved in the Vietnam War. He shared stories of long nights involved in combat on the water.
“We would shoot at them and they would (shoot) at us all night long,” he said. “We had this thing called a spotter pilot and he would fly in low to give us the coordinates to shoot, and our job was to follow his coordinates and shoot at that location.”
He said this type of fighting happened on a nightly basis in the Navy, making him grateful for peacetime.
“No matter how hot it gets today, it’s still not as hot as that,” Paul said. “Where the ammunition is stored below decks, purposely there is no ventilation. So when you break through that deck to load the ammo, you start sweating just by standing there.”
Smith shared a story about falling asleep behind a gun mount when it was firing.
“We worked so many hours, I fell asleep behind a gun mount and they fired I don’t know how many rounds, and I did not wake up. Which is probably why I use hearing aids now,” he said.
Barbara Johnson, director of marketing for Durango Botanic Gardens, said hosting the veterans was special.
“The tours are so important because they really introduce people to the gardens, what we do, that we’re here for education,” she said.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
