ST. LOUIS - The Memorial Day holiday is just about here. It's a time to remember military personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy. We're also grateful to the men and women who served and made it out alive.
In a 5 On Your Side original, Art Holliday recently attended a Vietnam veteran reunion where four men were reminded about the power of friendship.
"It was the prime of our life 20, 21, 22," said Mark Burkemper. "You just learned to live with these guys like brothers."
When it comes to brotherhood, most military veterans will understand exactly what Air Force veteran Mark Burkemper is trying to express.
"When someone says I'd go back to fight for the country there's no doubt that we would do that, but it's for your buddy," said Burkemper. "Everything's about your buddy."
In 2015 Burkemper almost life is life and started thinking a lot about his buddies.
"I actually had a abdominal aortic aneurysm at work," said Burkemper. "I think the survival rate is about 5 percent."
As a five percenter who survived long odds, Burkemper's near death emergency provided clarity about what's really important in life.
Lost friendships were near the top of the list so he got his band of brothers back together.
They met on a recent Thursday night at the VFW Hall in Richmond Heights.
"This is kind of a rekindling of that friendship that started 46 years ago and it's great," said Burkemper.
The first call went to Crew Chief Bill Van Dyke in Tampa.
"You are closer than any family can ever be because you depend on each other for your very lives," said Van Dyke.
Jim Maxwell made the trip from Piersall, Texas. And Robert Barber traveled from Lawrenceville, Georgia.
"I guess the 105 was the best one to work on," said Barber. "You could probably stand up on the wing."
They came ready to relive memories made four decades ago. They were four men who became a team during a NATO exercise in Germany.
"For whatever reason the four of us really clicked," said Van Dyke.
"We were weapons loaders," said Burkemper. "That's what we did, we loaded bombs on the aircrafts."
They loaded conventional bombs and nuclear weapons onto F4 jets.
"I would put them up against any crew anywhere at that time that was around and we would have smoked them," said Van Dyke.
As most of us know, it's so easy to lose touch with people who used to be important to us and it's a gift when you're lucky enough to reconnect
"It's like hugging a member of your family and we really are family," said Burkemper. "We may never get to do this again and that breaks my heart,
but you got to do it this time. And we are going to do it right."
Mark Burkemper says he's grateful that the public's attitude toward Vietnam Veterans has improved since he left the Air Force.
