A Jones County man completed a journey last week that he began 40 years ago, not only returning with his memories but also with a gift to improve the quality of life of residents of his host country.

Bobby Daniels joined the Marine Corps in 1967 when he was 17 years old. He left Macon for boot camp at Paris Island, S.C., and when he turned 18, he was on his way to Vietnam and a hill named LZ Russell.

He returned to Vietnam a couple of weeks ago in order to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Feb. 25, 1969, battle that took the lives of many of his fellow Marines. Daniels has two Purple Hearts himself from the battle after being shot in the knee and being hit by shrapnel in his hip.

With the help of the Lions Club of Jones County, Daniels returned to Vietnam with 2,400 pairs of eyeglasses from the Lighthouse in Atlanta. He said when planning the return trip, he wanted to do something to help the Vietnamese people and especially the children.

He took four duffle bags full of glasses to the Kids First organization in Vietnam where an optometrist will match the prescriptions to the children who need them. Daniels said he is a member of the Lions Club, and when he found out he was going to Vietnam, he got on the computer to find out if eyeglasses were needed.

“I wanted to do something good. The duffle bags could weigh up to 50 pounds, and each one of these weighed 49,” he said.

Daniels said the temperature in Vietnam was 108 degrees, and the people love Americans. He said the reception he received from the Vietnamese upon his return was a lot different than when he returned to the States 40 years ago.

“Some of the Vietnamese thanked us for being there in the 1960s. They were glad we were there and said they knew we tried to do what we could. It was quite different than the welcome I received when I returned from the war. Americans spat on us as we got off the planes,” he recalled.

Daniels said 350,000 rounds were fired by the Marines on LZ Russell and the people living in the village at the foot of the hill picked up every canister to sell them.

The veteran said he had to negotiate with the current and former chief of the village in order to get on the hill. He said it cost him 80 pounds of rice and two cartons of Marlboros for the current chief and 200,000 dong ($11.27) for the former.

“I recognized everything on LZ Russell. I knew where my hooch was and laid my bed on top of it,” he said.

Daniels said he took a picture of the spot where he was wounded, and when he reached the top of the hill, he called his wife Christine to share the moment.

After being wounded, the Marine was sent to Japan for three months to recover and then returned to LZ Russell. He finished his 13-month tour and volunteered for six more months.

“I like Vietnam, and I liked the people,” he said.

Daniels said he spent four of the six additional months on the hill before being sent to Okinawa in 1971. He received an early out because the Vietnam War was winding down. He was one of the five youngest sergeants in the Marine Corps at the time.

After returning home, Daniels worked for a time installing chain-link fences before getting a job at Robins Air Force Base. He started as a milkman and worked his way up through the ranks, retiring in 2006 with 36 years of service.

He married in 1979 and will celebrate his 30th anniversary this year.

Daniels said he got involved in the LZ Russell association after receiving a phone call from another veteran of the hill.

“Ken Hines was on LZ Russell the night we were overrun. He told me about the Web site and the reunion that year in Pueblo, Colo. I attended that one and about three others,” he said.

Daniels said he started planning his return trip to the hill about two years ago. He said it took every bit of that time to get permission to return. He went to Vietnam with two other veterans and the father of a young Marine who died in Iraq. Three of the four men spent the night on top of LZ Russell, but Daniels said he was the only one actually on the hill 40 years ago.

“I had an extremely hard time walking up the hill. I walked 15 feet at the time. It was so hot, my legs were hurting, and I’m out of shape. It took four hours for me to go 400 meters,” he said.

Daniels said the elephant grass on the hill ranged from being knee deep to over his head.

“I was amazed that I could talk to Christine on the phone. With our guides, there were eight of us on the hill that night. We were laughing and talking. I remembered the good things. It was like the bad things would not come to my mind,” he said. “Even when I was lying in the pit where I was wounded, I didn’t think about it.”

Daniels said some of the unpleasant memories came to him on the plane trip home.

“I guess I didn’t want to ruin the good times,” he said.

Daniels said the trip was satisfying in many ways, including knowing that the eyeglasses will help many children see better. He said it cost the Lions Club $800 for him to take the glasses to Vietnam.

“It is such a worthy cause, but that’s what we do. We have to take them to other places because we can’t use them in the United States,” he said.

The veteran said being on top of LZ Russell again was a moving experience for him.

“People very close to me were killed that night 40 years ago. Being able to go back there touched me. It brings tears to my eyes just to think about it,” he said.

Daniels said it was amazing to him that the villages in Vietnam had not changed in 40 years. He said the average income of the villagers is $250 per year, and even in Saigon the average income is $6,000 to $8,000.

He said tourism is the nation’s greatest income. Their currency is valued at 17,700 dong to one U.S. dollar.

“There are no words to say how glad I went. I hope Christine will go with me as a tourist, and our children need to see these places so they realize how lucky we are,” he said.