I'm known as Oletroop here on ebay,  my real name is David  Bates and I am retired Army Airborne.  I served in Viet Nam with the 11th Pathfinders of the famous 1St Air Cav Division back in 1969-70 and was assigned to Team 1 in Tay Ninh.  I was severly wounded in January 70 and medicaly retired in November 70.  I have a son who is presently serving our GREAT COUNTRY and I am very proud of him and YES, of course, he is a paratrooper!!!!!!! 

     I have a brother who sells on E-bay, his intrests lie in other areas than mine, go check out  what  BOXERSANDBOOKS has in his e-bay store, there might be something of intrest to you.  My brother served in the Marine Corps and we have to hassle each other about our branch of service.  He thinks I am crazy for jumping from airplanes and I know he is crazy for joining the Marine Corp.  He and I are VERY PATROTIC and we both love Boxer dogs, he raises them and I love em.  After my service I worked as a Transportation  Manager for a large wholesale Grocery Company for 23 years and in 1996 I decided to retire early and enjoy life for a change and I have loved retirement every since.  I am free to travel and I spend a lot of time in China teaching English to young Chinese students and I have travelled to other Asian countries.as well.   I sell when I can find items that I think an OLD Trooper  might want.

I am a seller when I can find unique items to sell and I buy as well.  I collect anything related to PATHFINDERS and I have built my collection around a Pathfinder from the 1/506th PIR.  I have a friend who was with the 1/506th and he was able to give me copies of jump manifests from the Holland and D-Day combat jumps, as well as pictures and other documents that list himself and the Pathfinder that is the center of my collection.  I have one of his orginial Pathfinder torches and an orginial 506th breast patch.  Also in my collection are some of my Pathfinder items and a few of them were actually in Viet Nam with me.  I am also interested in any ARVN Airborne items, especially any items from the 11th or 9th Battallions.  I live in Fayetteville, NC and am right next to FT. Bragg and I can easly get any items that you might be looking for, being retired military I have access to all facalities on the base.  If your interested in trying to find that lost item from your time in the 82nd or SF, let me know and I will try to find a replacement for you.  Thanks for checking out my me page, to my fellow Pathfinders....SEMPER PRIMUS, First in Last Out.  OH Yes.........SEMPER FI to my brother!

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALL OUR TROOPS STATIONED ALL OVER THE WORLD!