Jay-Bo Willie Casper

Written by: Ned Costa

SP5 Ned Costa was a Casper Crew Chief from mid-1968 to 1969.  In this story, he remembers the greatest dog ever -- Jay-Bo Willie Casper.

 

 

 

Who was Jay-Bo and what ever happened to him?

This is what I know about our Casper Mascot.

 

Jay-Bo Willie Casper was born in 1966 in Bien Hoa.  He immediately became a Casper and was known by most everyone of us.  Jay-Bo traveled with the platoon everywhere from Bien Hoa to Bong Son.

 

Although this dog was everyone's friend, he eventually became more attached to Rick Canning  who was later KIA on October 4, 1969.

 

According to Gary Irwin and Terry Hanks, some of the remaining members of Casper all chipped in to get Jay-Bo to the states.  Just before Casper left Vietnam in the summer of 1971, arrangements were finally made to smuggle our loyal friend on an airplane headed back to the world.  The plan was for Jay-Bo to live with Bob Wooldridge in Oklahoma.

 

Jay-Bo got to the Wooldridge's home before Bob and Terry returned home to the states.  We are told that when the guys arrived later, Bob's dad was a bit mad at our dog.  It seems that Jay-Bo chewed the couch, chairs and tore the house into shreds... "O'well, dogs will be dogs." 

 

Jay-Bo Willie Casper lived there happily ever after, until one day, when he ran off into the woods never to be seen again.  Jay-Bo was a true Casper All-The-Way!

 

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This site was last updated 07/24/06