Wisconsin XXI

As I write this today, I wonder if Joan, or any of the other contributors to this effort, knows just how much they have added and how much it is appreciated by me and by the many readers of this post who have gained knowledge and perhaps some understanding due to their generosity?

Once more to Joan and all the others, I thank you. I have just recently received a group of pictures from another contributor that I will be posting in the not too distant future.

However, today, a few more faces of the heroes from Wisconsin.

This post falls into my sub group that I call Faces of Remembrance. You can see all of the faces collected by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's The Wall of Faces here, ( https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/) Most, if not all, states have pictures of all who were lost or are missing from their state.

Next time, on October 30th, we will return to Arizona, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Wisconsin, or any other state, please click a state name on the left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia and Molly from Florida, and very soon Elli from Maryland, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed. 

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to contact Joan. I hope she is well.

Virginia XXXIII

Last time I promised that we would next visit Wisconsin, but, Colleen from Pennsylvania visited Luray, Virginia and sent me these pics of a memorial found deep within the world famous Caverns found there.

Located in the Cathedral Room the memorial was originally established to honor those from Page County lost in WW I. Placed by the American Legion, over the years additional tributes have been added to the site. Until 1928 no such plaques, etc., were allowed within the cavern site.

Five from Page County were lost in 'Nam and they like their comrades from earlier wars are memorialized here.

This was a tiny, tiny pic probably from a cell phone so it is especially hard to see here. 

It says, Veterans from Page county who lost their lives in Vietnam

The name of the five lost heroes from Page County are:

Norman Brubaker

Emmett Dougans

Thomas Fox

Leroy Phillips

Samuel Tharpe

R.I.P. brothers, may you always be honored and remembered. I have written here before that it is said that as long as someone says your name, you will always be. Even many feet into a marvelous cavern, these are remembered.

There is much interesting about the caverns themselves and you may check them out here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luray_Caverns

Next time, on October 25th, we will return to Wisconsin, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Virginia, or any other state, please click a state name on the left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia, Colleen from Pennsylvania and Molly from Florida, and very soon Elli from Maryland, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.

Pennsylvania XLVI

So, I am back after an unexpected, unscheduled, and unwanted week or so off due to health issues. Seemingly, mostly, resolved now I hope to get back to my regular posting schedule.

Today, as previously promised we return to Pennsylvania.

Reading and Pottstown are only about half an hour apart and yet I am fascinated by the different approaches the artist who created the separate memorials took to creating the their equally remarkable tributes.

Here is a repeat picture of the larger memorial in Reading.

In Reading, the statue of the soldier is stark and somewhat harrowing. I find it almost hard to look at, almost skeletal, haunting. Amazing for so very little detail.

I have found little to explain this approach but one article said the eyes and face of the solitary soldier are covered so that the viewer can see the face that they need to see. Interesting, I'll take it.

In Pottstown, the complete opposite approach. Yet, just as haunting.

The soldier here follows a more recognizable approach: fear, anguish, the 1000 yard stare, beautifully done.

I guess, like so many other things in life, that there are as many interpretations as their are designers or for that matter, viewers. I love them both.

Next time, on October 20th, we will revisit Wisconsin to see a few more pictures from Joan, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Pennsylvania, or any other state, please click a state name on the left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia and Molly from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.

North Carolina XXVI

Today, we take another look at the incredible Triad Park in Colfax, North Carolina.

We have, in fact, visited here before and you can check out those visits here and here.

Just a couple of the features pertaining to Vietnam.

This beautiful obelisk can be seen from all around and is a tribute to the effort, respect and love that went into building this site.

Truer words were never spoken. As I have said in the past I still have trouble taking the support, and thank you for your service comments seriously. As long as it took to get to this point, I fear it could vanish so much quicker.

This is a name I found on one of the walkways. I am trying to track down if he was lost or not. I have made several attempts to learn something about him, to no avail.

So, as  have done in the past, I throw the challenge out to you to see who might know something about him. You have helped before, I hope you can come through once again.

Next time, on October 10th, we will revisit Pennsylvania, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from North Carolina, or any other state, please click a state name on the left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia and Molly from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.

New Mexico XXX

I am headed, one more time, to New Mexico. Specifically to Lordsburg which lies along Route 10, about 2 hours west of Las Cruces.

We have visited here before and you can see those posts here and here.

Today, a few more names from the Wall that virtually surrounds this site. It honors many: soldiers from several wars, Border Patrol personnel, Policemen and other First Responders.

These name are all from those lost in 'Nam.

Too often, in my opinion, memorials are rather general. They often recall a war, but not necessarily the individuals who did the actual fighting and especially those who gave all. It may seem that I post a lot of these names and I assure you that I will continue to do so. If a city, state, or town goes to the effort to commemorate these heroes, so will I.

I've located a couple more from this site that I will feature later, but for now I will just say that:

Next time, on October 5th, we will revisit North Carolina, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from New Mexico, or any other state, please click a state name on the left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia and Molly from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.

Maryland XLIII

This past summer I had the occasion to visit Bel Air, Maryland. I had driven through on a number of previous occasion coming down I-95 from somewhere else, but never visited.

What a lovely place. Found perhaps one of the best Mexican restaurants this side of Santa Fe and a lovely tribute to the many who have served and were lost in various wars.

Vietnam was prominent among those honored.

It is located in a pretty little park adjacent to the Police station located at 50 E. Lee Street.

There is no designation as to whether these served or were lost, except that across the front it says: 

For God Forever Honored       For Country forever Mourned

View from the rear over wild flowers and a small pond.

Next time, on September 30th, we will revisit New Mexico, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Maryland, or any other state, please click a state name on the left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia and Molly from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.

Delaware XXVII

 I have written previously that my wife has often said that this project was meant to be and that I was the one meant to do it. While skeptical of any such ideas, enough things have happened that sometimes I admit that there just might be something to them.

I was recently in Delaware as I lost my older brother. During the upset and turmoil that these events always cause, I went to a restaurant with some family member on one of the very long days we tried to make arrangements and hold each other up.

Vietnam memorials were not on my mind.

We came out of the restaurant and I glanced across the parking lot to a small park in which there was clearly some kind of memorial. I walked over and it was a war memorial dedicated to all from this town who had served in our various wars. 

Three names of a local heroes, lost in 'Nam, were engraved on the memorial.

Somethings were meant to be.

 

 Next time, on September 25th, we will revisit Maryland, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Delaware, or any other state, please click a state name on the left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia and Molly from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.