MY HERO: 50 Years On, Sister Honors Soldier’s Sacrifice by Connecting His Comrades

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.

You can subscribe here to AARP Veteran Report, a free e-newsletter published twice a month. If you have feedback or a story idea then please contact us here.

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.

AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Join Now

‘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.”