Vietnam vet Doug Udell keeps 54-year-old promise, finds family of fallen buddy

  • Doug Udell of Live Oak holds his purple heart, one of seven he received after Vietnam. Udell came out alive, but his friend, Joseph Pecora, wasn’t so lucky, kicking off the decades-long search for the fallen friend’s family. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)
    Doug Udell of Live Oak holds his purple heart, one of seven he received after Vietnam. Udell came out alive, but his friend, Joseph Pecora, wasn’t so lucky, kicking off the decades-long search for the fallen friend’s family. (CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter)

    LIVE OAK — Fifty-four years later, Doug Udell was finally able to keep his promise. 

    The conversation dredged up unpleasant memories from the war. It got unbearable after about an hour, so Udell h…