Mike Bacome on James Workman

I just got done reading the piece you wrote. Jim and I were best friends in B Company of the 716th Military Police Battalion. We met at Ambassador Elsworth Bunker's residence in Saigon when we were stationed there. I can never thank you enough for what you have written. I am sure in the next few days I will read it again and again . Shortly after Jim was murdered in the Ivory Tower Bar in 1969, his aunt and uncle wrote the 716th MP Bn and asked to be put in contact with me. The only thing they knew was that my name was Mike. Jim had sent pictures of us and they called me little Mike because he was much bigger than I was. They wanted to write me to try and find out what had really happened because they felt the Army was not being honest with them. I was told at that time if I ever talked to Jim's family about the incident I would be sent to a federal prison in Leavenworth.

I told the army I would tell his family whatever I knew whenever I was able. Shortly after that, Jack (a friend) and I were kicked out of Saigon and told never to return. We were out after curfew and involved in an altercation with a group of GIs who did not like MPs. We were off duty and had been in the bars. A curfew and uniform violation were what we were charged with. This was hardly sufficient to get us moved but they clearly did not want us around. We were both sent to Long Binh. They wanted us separated but in the Army's infinite wisdom we were both in different MP units but the barracks we were assigned to were across the street from each other.

It has been a long time and this is one of those things that will simply haunt me. Please feel free to contact me in any manner. If you ever want to talk, I can send you a phone number or I can call you. Thanks again for taking the time to write this.

Regards, Mike Bacome
Dublin, Ohio
January, 2010