Georgia XXV

In New Spalding, Georgia there is a roadside park with a number of memorials present. The names of thirteen fallen from 'Nam are listed along side heroes from the Korean war. 

You can see my original past from the site here.

Today, I will highlight a few of the fallen honored here.

James Terry Coggins

PFC James Coggins was lost to hostile small arms fire om June 28th, 1968. As is so often the case, I can find nothing else about this hero. There are several sites on-line that give basic information, but in fact, they all seem to say the same thing. 

It just feels like they deserve more,  

Willie Gene Gaddy

PFC Willie Gaddy took his buddy's place as point on a patrol. He was dead within hours. The friend survived the war and remembers him daily. As usual, little detail available.

Charles Wayne Hall

PFC Charles Hall was lost at Binh Dinh on November 7, 1968. He was awarded a Meritorious Service Award from the government of South Vietnam, but I can, as always, find no details about this.

I think I realized today why I choose to only include three names in these posts. It just makes me too sad ( not to mention angry) to think that we know so little about young men and women who gave up their lives in this war.

And we just move on.

Next time on November 16th, after a Veterans Day tribute on the 11th, we will return to Hawai'i and additional faces to honor, so join me there, as usual at 9:00 am. 

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.