The responding counsel from her brother was typical. "Chuck doesn't have the problem, honey," he wrote. "You have it. You know how to handle it if you really want to handle it. Right?"

Cindy's reply to that also typified these personal exchanges between brother and sister: "Oh, by the way, no more Chuck problem. How did I handle it? No more Chuck!!!"

In a letter from Mrs. Bolan dated in late spring, she told her son: "Now that the worst is past I suppose I should tell you that Pop has been having a bit of a rough time. He had a light heart attack in January, and the doctor would not let him work for a while. We pinched pennies and got through okay on the sickness benefits and Pop is back to work now and everything looks bright. Of course a few bills piled up but we'll catch up okay. Cindy had already decided to work a year before starting college, and I guess that's what bothered Pop the most-Cindy's education. He has always felt bad about not seeing you through college, you know. But-all is well now so there's nothing for you to worry about And you are not to send any money home. Pop would have a fit!"

On the following August 12th, Sergeant Bolan was summoned to his base camp chaplain's office, where he learned of his father's death. And of his mother's. And of his sister's. The official communique also advised that young Johnny Bolan was in critical condition but was expected to survive. Bolan was air-lifted home on emergency leave to handle funeral arrangements and to see to the care of his orphaned brother.

It was a sad and traumatic home-coming for this professional soldier. The trauma was deepened when Sergeant Bolan learned the circumstances of the deaths from the homicide detective who met him at the airport The elder Bolan had evidently "gone berserk" and, without apparent provocation, had shot his wife, son, and daughter, finally turning the gun on himself. Only the son survived.