Vermont XIV

I have posted from the unique memorial at Rutland, Vermont before. It is a great story and you can see it here, if you missed it the first time.

I managed to find a few names of our lost brothers from Rutland, and I will feature a few of them today.

Edward A. Birmingham

On October 2nd, 1967, PSG Birmingham was leading his men across a rushing, fog encased river when the VC opened up on them.

 "...One of the platoon members became entangled in the rope while the enemy leveled fire at the men on the life line. Platoon Sergeant Birmingham plodded into the river to save the endangered man. During his rescue efforts Sergeant Birmingham was swept away by the powerful current. It was not until days later that his body was found down stream..."*

PSGT Birmingham lost his life while attempting to save another on October 2nd, 1967 in the Quang Nam Province. 

 

Allen H. Archer

SFC Archer was lost by small arms fire in March 22, 1967, only two months after arriving in 'Nam. 

 

Joe K. Fish

LCPL Joe K. Fish was killed near Hue on February 19, 1968 by hostile small arms ground fire. It was the Tet Offensive and was a terrible time for all. 

Next time, on August 30th, we will return to Virginia, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

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, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray 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 and/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.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group!  

Utah IX

Price, Utah calls their memorial to many wars The Peace Garden. I have featured it in the past and you can check out that post here.

 

 

 

On the base of the statue are listed names of the lost. When I first saw it, I mistakenly thought there were five, but five more are listed on the other side. I do not know if that was by design or if the numbers changed over time. It is fairly rare to find a memorial that has not had additions made with the passage of the years. 

 

Today, I will honor three of the ten. 

 

Robert R. Anderson

 

Sp4 Anderson had only three days left before rotation. He was killed on March 16, 1967 at Tay Ninh when his truck hit a mine. He never had a chance to meet his new born son.

 

Richard P. Donathan

 

LCPL Donathan was lost on August 10, 1966 in a fierce battle with the NVA in Quang Tin Province. He was from Colorado and is remembered on the North Slope Memorial but is buries in Price City, Utah and is honored, too, on the memorial in The Peace Garden.

 

Johnny S. Martinez

 

LCPL Martinez deliberately entered a mine field to rescue two Vietnamese children who had wandered into it. He accidentally triggered a mine which mortally wounder him. He lost his live on November 28th,1968 in the Quang Nam Province. A Hero two times over.

 

Next time, on August 25th, we will return to Vermont, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

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, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray 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 and/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.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group!  

Texas

In Mineral Wells Texas is a wonderful museum and memorial site. Called the National Vietnam War Museum you can view my previous posts here and here.

One of the dominating features of the site is a memorial Wall to Camp Holloway, named for the first soldier lost at the site in 'Nam. Part of what makes this Wall unique is that the home of the lost is listed along with their names. I have seen memorials that name the counties of the lost but never anything this specific.This wall is a replica of one that was first built in Pleiku in 1966 to honor those lost at Camp Holloway.

Today, I will post some info about a few of the lost from Texas. 

Norman R. Garrett

Pvt Norman R. Garrett was one of seven who were killed in a February 7, 1965 Viet Cong attack on Camp Holloway. He was transferred to Ft. Sam Houston in Texas were he died of head wounds. He passed on February 15th.

George Markos

Cpt. George Markos was injured in the same February 7th attack on Camp Holloway. His chopper was shot down during the attack, he died from those injuries.

Freddy D. Dobson

Pfc Dobson's chopper was attempting to resupply a village at Phaun Son in the Quang Tin Province when it was shot down. Sadly, he had been married just six months before his loss.

Next time, on August 20th, we will return to Utah, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

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, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray 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 and/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.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group! 

Tennessee X

One of the highlights of my trip to Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee was a visit to the memorial there, after a great meeting and breakfast with the guys from VVA 942.

The site is described in greater detail in previous posts that you may read  here and here.

 

Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee memorial

There are only six from the area remembered on the memorial and today, I will honor three of them. 

James A. Benton

LCPL Benton was on a helicopter leaving a ship when it crashed into the ship. His body was never recovered. He was lost on April 27, 1967 and, I believe, is the first MIA I have tried to honor here.

James R. Potter

 SSG. Potter's chopper was shot down In Tay Ninh Province on September 11, 1969. He was RECON for the famous Big Red 1.

John D. Reynolds

 

PFC Reynolds was lost at Quang Tri on September 9, 1967. His death on September 8th was due to an artillery attack.

Next time, on August 15th, we will return to Texas, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 a.m., as always.

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, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray 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 and/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.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group!  

South Dakota XXIV

Some time ago, I posted from Garretson, S.D. a town of a little over 1,200 people as of the 2020 census. You can see that post here.

There were only four names on their memorial and today, I will honor two of them. 

William L. Hill

Pfc Hill was on guard duty when he stepped on a land mine in Gia Dinh Province. He was lost om May 1, 1968. His body was recovered and is buried in South Dakota. His full profile reads that he was killed by "misadventure" "Friendly fire" I wonder if that means the mine was one of ours, or something else?

Robert V. Reker

LCpl Reker was only in 'Nam two months before he was killed by "hostile" "fragmentation" wounds. He was lost at Quang Nam Province on June 13, 1969.

Next time, on August 10th, we will return to Tennessee, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

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, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray 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 and/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.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group!