Was 'Stretch' Lucky or Unlucky ?

Rowan "Stretch" Gamble testing field wire Rowan "Stretch" Gamble is either the luckiest or unluckiest member of 104 Sig Sqn to serve in South Vietnam. He served in Vietnam as a CPL lineman. Key points of Stretch's service during 1968 are:

1. Wounded in the left leg and left side of the head from shrapnel
from a RPG round at FSPB Coral 13 May 1968. Hospitalized
and returned to duties at Nui Dat.

Unlucky to be hit but lucky to be alive!

2. Struck by lighting at Nui Dat in mid 1968. Survived OK.

Unlucky to be hit but lucky to be alive!

3. Accidentally wounded in the right thigh at Nui Dat in the
Comcen by a F1 Submachine gun 9mm round on the 12 August
1968. Medically evacuated to Australia.

Unlucky to be hit but lucky to be alive!

Comment

     While signalman soldiers are not superstitious and we all know lighting never strikes
     in the same spot twice. Having been wounded at FSPB Coral and then the lighting
     incident, some of the unit members, were happy for Stretch to be in someone else's
     company!

     Stretch now lives happily in Ballarat, Victoria with wife Nancy and it appears the bad
     karma from 1968 remains in Vietnam. However shrapnel from his head wound
     suffered at FSPB Coral was only removed a number of years ago!