Setting up my best prank ever

NW Hook & Bullet

by Special to Herald & DENNIS. L. CLAY
| February 3, 2012 5:00 AM

Over the years, from the time I was a youngster, to recent days, many pranks, tricks, shenanigans, jokes and hoaxes have taken place within my viewing range. Most have been a part of family fun, but not all.

At this point a disclaimer must be presented: All pranks must be harmless and fun practical jokes, with no harm done to anyone. No prank should be performed on anyone who will suffer hurt feelings, but only those who will laugh and enjoy the spirit of the joke.

A special prank

The setup: John Walsh and I were classmates at Moses Lake High School and graduated together in 1965. We both joined the Army, but didn't know of each other's actions. I attended Artillery Officer Candidate School and helicopter flight school. The orders to flight school were also the orders to Vietnam, so all student pilots knew our eventual destination.

One of my fellow pilots in the 9 th Aviation Battalion was Larry Little from Georgia. We became friends. Our unit was the signature aviation unit assigned to the 9 th Infantry Division with base camp at Dong Tam, 45 miles south of Saigon, along the Mekong River in the region known as The Delta.

Our missions were varied in 1968. One day we might be assigned to deliver the mail or personnel throughout the division's area of operation. Another day we might resupply units with ammunition and food. Additional missions included medevac, combat assault, still others involved flying unit commanders into the field for briefings from smaller unit commanders. There were times when all of the missions mentioned were accomplished in the same day.

One morning I was assigned to fly the commanding general of the division to a remote location for a briefing. After landing at the general's helicopter pad, near his headquarters, the general and his people scampered on board and off we went. After landing everyone exited the aircraft, except one who tapped me on the shoulder.

"Are you from Moses Lake?" he asked.

It was John Walsh, who was then the commanding general's aide. We renewed our friendship and enjoyed each other's company, in between missions, before he completed his tour and left Vietnam.

We didn't see each other again until the 45 th class reunion in August of 2010. John retired from the Army as a Brigadier General and is currently working as the Coca-Cola Parts and Equipment Supply Chain Director. We renewed our friendship again and vowed to stay in touch. John related he was also a fishing guide on Georgia's Lake Lanier, where large striped bass are found.

I haven't seen Larry since Vietnam, but we have stayed in touch by letters and e-mail, Larry being more faithful in the correspondence field than me, thank goodness.

After the 2010 meeting with John, I began thinking about Larry and John both living in Georgia. I checked out a map and found Gainesville, the town where Larry lives, and John's home, in Cumming, are relative close, just a 30 minute-drive between the two cities.

At this point, the wheels of a long-distance prank began to turn: What if...just what if...

Co-conspirators were necessary for this trick to work. I contacted John's wife, Michele, and then, together, we contacted Larry's wife, Alice in a conference call. Here is the report from Michele:

You've heard of six degrees of separation, the theory that everyone in the world is connected through six other people. Sometimes it only takes two. I learned this recently thanks to a good friend I have yet to meet. His name is Dennis Clay.

My husband, John Walsh, attended his high school reunion about 18 months ago. He returned home to tell me the tales of everyone he reconnected with and what they had become in the intervening years. The person he had the most to say about was Dennis Clay.

Their connection over the years has been a special one even though they hadn't seen each other since a chance meeting in Vietnam in the 1960's. He said that Dennis was the driving force behind the reunion, finding, communicating and cajoling people to attend. I have realized in the meantime that Dennis is truly a force to be reckoned with.

This realization began to dawn one morning when I received a phone call from a total stranger. I knew his name from John's stories about the schoolmate become helicopter pilot who flew him and a general during the war. Dennis had a favor to ask of me and I was amazed as the details unfolded.

My husband works for the Coca Cola Company, but has a small business guiding people on fishing trips on the weekends. We live on Lake Lanier in Georgia and it is famous for huge striped bass. John loves to teach people how to fish for these great game fish and sometimes I go with him to help. Dennis asked me to set up a trip for a friend of his who lives near us.

This friend, Larry Little, was in the same division in Vietnam as John and Dennis, at the same time although John and Larry never met. Dennis felt they should meet as they have so much in common.

A conference call was arranged between Larry's wife, Alice, Dennis and me so we would all be informed of the plan. Alice, as baffled as I was about the whole situation, is one of the sweetest people you could imagine, so she went along with the scheme wholeheartedly.

Alice and I hatched a plan that would seem reasonable to both husbands. I said a good friend of mine wanted to set up a surprise fishing trip for her husband. She said a good friend of hers had a boat and invited them to go fishing. So far so good.

Being the kind of person Dennis is, he insisted on sending the money for the trip, even though I told him John would not accept it when he found out who was involved in the plot. Dennis also said to expect a package with some special items inside, which should be taken with us on the day of the fishing trip.

Alice and I decided on the date and I set up the trip with John. The package arrived and all was ready, sort of. I let Alice know that they had to be at a certain boat ramp near us at 6 a.m. on the morning of the trip. I think she panicked a little at this.

Apparently Larry doesn't get up that early for any reason. It might be possible, however, to be at a marina near them at 7 a.m. I think I panicked a little at this. I had to come up with something reasonable to convince John to run the boat 30 minutes up the lake to another marina where the fish are not hanging out at this time of year.

Next week: Two of my friends meet on the water of Lake Lanier