When Ray Dowdy began visiting the graves of fallen soldiers he fought with in Vietnam, he knew there was one that would be the most painful: Lloyd Stearns, who is buried in the Olga Doe Bay Cemetery.

Dowdy, who lives in South Jersey, went through Army basic training with Stearns, and served under him in Vietnam.

“Lloyd was so full of life and a joy to be with. He was my brother, as much as my blood is,” Dowdy said.

The two men served together from 1966 to 1967, and often went on reconnaissance missions and long-range patrols.

“If it weren’t for guys like Lloyd, a lot fewer of us would have come home,” Dowdy said. “He was a natural leader, and loved to be outdoors.”

Visiting Orcas Island is the culmination of a journey that Dowdy and his wife Dolores embarked on three years ago. They arrived on Orcas on June 23, and spent the day at the cemetery and exploring the island.

“A group of us had promised we would visit graves that were a reasonable distance from our homes. But Lloyd was so special that I wanted to see him. It wasn’t an obligation, it was a need,” Dowdy said.

Locating Stearns was difficult, but the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs eventually located the grave site.

It is the sixth – and final – grave that he will visit.

“I recommend this to anyone who is apprehensive,” Dowdy said. “It’s painful, but there is healing, too. I’ve visited some of the families of fallen veterans, and I was very well received. It was good for both of us.”

One of Dowdy’s favorite memories is when their team stripped down to bathe in a river, only to be shot at.

“No one was hurt, and it was kinda fun,” he said. “There were half a dozen naked men scrambling to get out of the way.”

Dowdy was with Stearns when he was killed in action on April 8, 1967, and says it was sheer luck that he wasn’t shot too.

“I could hear bullets going past my head and nothing hit me,” he said. “I had the privilege of putting Lloyd on the helicopter. I was able to put my hand on his shoulder and say goodbye.”

Stearns was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and an Air Medal. He is buried on Orcas, where he grew up. He was survived by his wife, Mary, his parents, Palmer and Inez Stearns, his brother, Edwin, and two sisters, Martha Gusdal and Edith Wickberg.

“He wanted to come back in civilian life and be a nature guide,” Dowdy said. “And now he’s with nature, where there’s trees. He’s home.”

Dowdy is still very emotional when talking about one of his best friends.

“Lloyd always had a smile and was always upbeat,” he said. “Lloyd didn’t have a bad day. He was a good soldier and a great friend. I miss him. He would have been a lifelong friend, I’m sure. I probably would have been to Seattle a lot sooner.”