Reader TTS

Fifty years after her beloved brother Vic was killed in Vietnam, Liz Condon became an unlikely link among those he served with. AARP-affiliated charity Wish of a Lifetime celebrated her work

with veterans by sending her on an emotional visit to Washington, D.C. “He was the best brother,” Liz Condon told AARP Veteran Report. “He was like my rock.” Hugh Victor Best died at Phuoc

Long in Vietnam in 1967 in an act of bravery that saved the lives of other American soldiers. Vic was 21 and Liz was just 18. Liz and Vic were military brats — their father was an Air Force

colonel — and grew up together on bases around the world. “He was very protective,” Condon explained. “When Dad wasn’t there, Vic would meet my dates at the door. I’m not sure who they were

more afraid of, my dad or my brother.” After raising a family and spending 31 years as a teacher, Liz was finally ready to come to grips with her grief. “A lot of it I shut up inside of me,”

she said. ‘WHAT I WAS MEANT TO DO’ Condon visited the Vietnam Wall for the first time in 2007. While there, her husband struck up a conversation with a pair of veterans who had served in

the 11th Armored Cavalry—Vic’s regiment. The couple were invited to the unit’s next reunion. A photo Condon brought to the gathering, taken by her brother, featured a man identified on the

back as “Bill.” Vic’s platoon commander helped fill in the blanks—Bill was short for Guillermo, and Guillermo and Vic had been best friends. Condon’s next mission was to find Guillermo, who

had lost touch with his comrades. Soon, Guillermo was back in the fold at reunions. “If you found me,” Guillermo told her, “maybe you can find other people.” She jumped into the work. She

wrote letters, scoured the internet and even enlisted detective agencies. Her voice crackled with delight as she described her work rebuilding lost connections. “That’s what I was meant to

do,” she said. ‘EXACTLY THE PERSON WHO HE WAS’ She now cherishes her own connections with men who knew Vic: “I’m so grateful that God gave me the opportunity to find people that talked to

him, that could tell me stories about him.”