Vietnam Vets United; Bible Changes Hands
POSTED: 9:06 am MST January 4,
2008
UPDATED: 11:05 am MST January 4,
2008
PHOENIX -- A veteran who spent almost four decades trying to track down the owner of a Bible he found in Vietnam finally returned the book, with the help of CBS 5 viewers.Barbara Youngberg gave the Bible to her husband, Gunnery Sgt. Jim Youngberg, almost 40 years ago when he left home for his second tour in Vietnam. Jim Youngberg carried the Bible with him everywhere, but lost it when he was shipped back home.Another young Marine found the Bible when, after suffering an injury in the war, he was assigned to clean out duffel bags left behind by other Marines. Manny Carreon said he found the Bible at the bottom of one of the bags."Going through this process, I found this Bible and I read it, and I've kept it ever since," Carreon said. "I just couldn't throw it away."The Bible held a note from Barbara Youngberg to her husband, blessing him as he went off to fight. It also held letters from Jim Youngberg, one asking anyone who found it to please return it to his family, and another telling his wife to remarry and asking her to tell their daughter he loved her.Carreon said he was told to throw the Bible away, but kept it instead in the hopes of one day returning it to its owner.Carreon believed Jim Youngberg had survived the war because his name was not listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, but said he was unable to locate the gunnery sergeant."I've made several phone calls all over the States here, trying to find out with other people, but I never did find him," Carreon said.After 38 years, Carreon asked for help in his search.CBS 5 viewers tracked down Jim Youngberg, who was alive and well and living only a few hours away, in the San Diego area.
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CBS 5 traveled with Carreon to the Youngberg home this week, where the two men hugged like brothers as they met for the first time.Jim Youngberg, now 75, hadn't seen his Bible in decades but said he never stopped praying he'd see it again."If somebody found it, whoever found it, it would help them and help us in some way," he said. "And amazingly enough, it has."As they sat on the Youngbergs' couch together, the two veterans talked little of the war in Vietnam, expressing instead a shared feeling of gratitude and relief that their story is finally complete."With that, I'm going to return this to you. As a fellow Marine, back to you," Carreon said. "I'm just glad it finally has come home.""Truly a miracle," Jim Youngberg said. "Semper Fi."As the two locked hands, Carreon responded, "Semper Fi, bro."ELSEWHERE ON KPHO.COM: Phoenix police arrested a 25-year-old man accused of forcing underage girls into prostitution. CLICK HERE for details. MORE SLIDESHOWS: From the bizarre to the tragic to late-breaking news, visit the KPHO.com slideshow section and click away! CLICK HERE for images.
CBS 5 traveled with Carreon to the Youngberg home this week, where the two men hugged like brothers as they met for the first time.Jim Youngberg, now 75, hadn't seen his Bible in decades but said he never stopped praying he'd see it again."If somebody found it, whoever found it, it would help them and help us in some way," he said. "And amazingly enough, it has."As they sat on the Youngbergs' couch together, the two veterans talked little of the war in Vietnam, expressing instead a shared feeling of gratitude and relief that their story is finally complete."With that, I'm going to return this to you. As a fellow Marine, back to you," Carreon said. "I'm just glad it finally has come home.""Truly a miracle," Jim Youngberg said. "Semper Fi."As the two locked hands, Carreon responded, "Semper Fi, bro."
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