Nebraska XXI

Prospect Hill Cemetery is in Norfolk, Nebraska. I have featured it elsewhere on this site. 

Today, I will honor several of the fallen from the area.

As you may be able to see there are nine heroes remembered here. The first three are:

Sp4 Strube was guiding mortar track and strayed slightly off course. He hit a land mine and was killed by the blast. He gave his all on February 24, 1970, at Binh Thuan.

Buel E. Andersen

SGT Andersen was lost to "multiple fragmentation wounds" on April 21, 1969, at Binh Duong. I am sure, if you are a regular here, that you may be tired of my complaining about the lack of information available about these men and women who gave their all for their country.

James R. Schultz

Sp4 Schultz was lost to "other explosive device" on September 20, 1968, at Binh Duong.

If you read this or any other post here and know something more about the men and women I try to honor, please let me know. The available info is scarce, and we may be running out of time to do justice to them.

Next time, on March 15th, we will return to Nevada to honor a few who were lost from the state, 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.

Nebraska XX

I have made many posts from the site of the Nebraska Vietnam memorial.  

It is located in Antelope Park in Lincoln. 

While reviewing photos from the site I came across this smaller one. It appears to be located in the same park but I can find no verification of this, or for that matter, any information at all about it. I watched a nice video of a walk through the many memorials in the park and it did not appear and various google searches turned up nothing. I am hoping that perhaps you know something about it or have better searching skills than I do.

So, help me out. Somebody knows about this and I hope you will let me know so that I can pass on the info. As you can see below, if you do, you will join the ranks of others who have helped improve this site.

Next time, on the 6th, we will return to New Mexico, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Nebraska, 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 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.

Nebraska XIX

This could be, possibly, the shortest post I have ever written as it will contain only one photo.

While perusing my files I ran across this one lone photo and thought it was particularly interesting. Its simplicity speaks volumes.

It is located in the vast veterans memorial site in Antelope Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.

As anyone who follows along here knows, I have visited many, many memorials. I am not sure exactly why but I think this one is among the most subtle and perhaps poignant I have seen. There is just something elegant about it.

Next time, on the 9th of May we will return to New Mexico, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Nebraska, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

I will ask, as I do at the end of nearly every post now, for anyone who has pictures of Vietnam memorials not seen here to please send them to me. I will give you full photo credit for the pic and any information about it you may know. Check your state, or anywhere you may have visited, from the list at the left, or any place else. Please send them to the email at the left or directly to me at Ldddad@comcast.net. Thanks

Nebraska XVIII

As is so often the case these days, I have been looking through photos in hopes of finding something interesting to share.

I happened onto some pics from the wonderful Veterans Park in Lincoln, Nebraska and came upon this memorial to dogs. If you follow me, you know that I have a particularly soft spot for dogs. I had one in 'Nam, not a military dog, just a Shepherd mix that belonged to my unit. She adopted me the day I arrived and basically never left my side. I tried to bring her home, but the plans fell through, and she remained with the unit.

It got me thinking about dogs and how they may have served the military over the years. History tells us that dogs have been used in war throughout history, so it surprised me a bit to learn that the U.S. did not "formalize" their service until 1942.

Many breeds of dogs were trained and used in different capacities, as seen on this memorial.

The glare on this polished stone makes it a little difficult to see that the three dogs are a Shepherd, a Collie and a Doberman. Each breed had its strengths and weaknesses and these three represent all the other breeds that served. 

About 4,000 dogs ended up serving in 'Nam, about 350 were killed, about 200 eventually made it home and the others were turned over the ARVN, euthanized, or simply abandoned as excess equipment.

Many troops were enraged by the abandonment and in 2,000 a law was passed that dogs would no longer be left behind.

A vet is quoted as saying that " if it weren't for these dogs there would be at least 10,000 more names on The Wall.

Here are a few of the names of dogs honored here.

Next time, on the 19th, we will revisit New Mexico, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Nebraska, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

I will ask, as I do at the end of nearly every post now, for anyone who has pictures of Vietnam memorials not seen here to please send them to me. I will give you full photo credit for the pic and any information about it you may know. Check your state, or anywhere you may have visited, from the list at the left, or any place else. Please send them to the email at the left or directly to me at Ldddad@comcast.net. Thanks!

Nebraska XVII

So, I seem to have messed up on my post timing, not sure what went wrong. but now we are back on track. 

Again I find myself searching for anything to write about here and, once again, find myself looking at faces.

Today, I return to Nebraska to find a few and I admit that they may not be the best pictures you will find on this site. They were all taken before the idea for the Faces of Remembrance series ever occurred to me. So, they are taken from larger pics and sites and in some cases I cannot swear that they are actually faces of our fellow soldiers from 'Nam, but perhaps more generalized representatives of all those who who stood up and made the sacrifices and "wrote the check" asked for by our country.

I was on the road this week and found a couple of sites in West Virginia and one in Maryland, so more traditional memorials are coming in the not too distant future.

For now, these.

 

These pics, such as they are, come from Omaha, North Bend, and Auburn, Nebraska, respectively.

So, next time, on the 12th, we will take another look at New Jersey, so meet me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Nebraska, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

I will ask, as I do at the end of nearly every post now, for anyone who has pictures of Vietnam memorials not seen here to please send them to me. I will give you full photo credit for the pic and any information about it you may know. Check your state, or anywhere you may have visited, from the list at the left, or any place else.

Memorial Day 2021

Once again we pause to remember all those who have given everything for our country.

Armed Forces Memorial, Hawai'i'
 

Some of our excursions into the politics and the soil of other countries have been more popular than others, but no one disputes the sacrifice made by so many.

 

Lincoln, Nebraska 

 

In doing some research for this post it has been shocking to see just how many involvements we have been in over our history. we all know the big ones, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish American, WW1, WW2, Korea, Nam, Middle East, GWOT, but the number of what must be called lesser known is astounding. You can see a list of them taken from Wikipedia here:

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

Check it out you just might be amazed.

It is estimated that nearly 1.4 million Americans have been lost in these efforts and today we remember them all.

                                                Virginia Beach, Virginia 

This effort of mine, now spanning 12 years, has been an attempt to honor those lost in Nam and this seems like an appropriate place to say that many of you, over the years have asked ,"Have you done a book?" or "Are you planning to do a book?" and the answer is yes.

In fact, the original plan for A Means to Heal was to be just a book, not a web site, but many advised that it would be wise to have an online presence first. Well, after some hesitation, I decided to give it a shot and over time this online effort eclipsed the book project. That has finally been remedied and the print version of A Means to Heal is available. If interested, please contact your local book store and see if they have it. If not, ask then to get it for you. I've been told that if you do that, they will order extra copies for their shelves. Short of that, you can also get it from Amazon.

So, as you observe Memorial Day take a moment to remember why it exists, what it means, and how many were lost. It is not just about BBQ and beer.

R.I.P. to our brothers and sisters of every era.

Next time, on the 4th of June, we will return to New York, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials from any state, please click on the state name on the left side of Thia page.

Nebraska XVI

I have posted from the magnificent Veterans Memorial Garden in Lincoln, Nebraska before, but it was only in searching for additional sites to include here that I ran across this simple, yet poignant, memorial not far from the larger tribute to those lost in Vietnam, which stands nearby.

Located in Antelope Park at 3200 Veterans Memorial Drive it offers the somewhat unusual approach of not only honoring our brothers and sisters, but also allowing for some venting of anger and frustration with the war, the loss and about what was seen as a fruitless, poorly devised, and led endeavor.

As you can see the sun made this particular shot difficult to see, so I have a few shots better displaying the detail.

 

Three separate writings each reflecting the feelings of the individuals who penned them.

Next time, on the 21st, we will revisit New Jersey, so meet me there as always, at 9:00am.

To visit other memorials from any state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Nebraska XV

Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but I have to admire a town of fewer that 3500 people for having the determination, tenacity, and most of all respect for the service of the few to build such a magnificent memorial.

Like in so many small towns this site is what is called a multi-war memorial: honoring all in one place.

Auburn, named after Auburn New York, lies nearly 65 miles south of Omaha.

The memorial features the names of nearly 1,000 who served on one side of the black granite and pictures depicting scenes from the civil war through the current day on the reverse side.

Those honored are listed alphabetically with details listed.

A separate stone honors all who were lost.

The whole memorial site is watched over by this guy reminding us of the traits common to those who choose to serve the Nation: risking all.

I spoke at some length today with a vet from Nebraska who is part of a group building a new Vietnam memorial in Papillion, Nebraska which is about 13 miles from Omaha. The site is in early stages though much work has been accomplished and they hope that perhaps it might be completed by the end of the year, It will honor all 386 Nebraskans lost in the war. 

I am excited by this new project and hope to be able to travel to Nebraska and see it. Hopefully by the end of the year travel will be safer and I can get back on the road. You can bet that you will see it here.

Next time, on the 7th, we will return to Pennsylvania, so meet me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from Nebraska, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Nebraska XIV

While browsing through my files, at least thinking about organizing them better, I stumbled across this memorial. I knew it was in Nebraska, but could not remember exactly where.

Usually, I find some sign or street sign or something to remind me, but there was just nothing here. I noticed the three dedication marks near the bottom, VFW, DAV, and American Legion, so I looked up their numbers and called but no one could help me, or I haven't heard back from them as of today.

I was eventually able to determine that it is located in Norfolk, Nebraska and then, later, learned that it is in Prospect Hill Cemetery.

It is a combined Korea and Vietnam memorial, listing names of the lost from each.

When I was checking all this out I was surprised to see the Prospect Hill is located on Johnny Carson Blvd. (at Maple Avenue) I guess only those of us of a certain age will consider that interesting. I thought that maybe he was born in Nebraska, but it turns out he was born in Iowa. So...

On our next visit, we will be in New Mexico, so join me there at 9:00am on October 6th..

To see other memorials from Nebraska, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

September 11, 2017

Many of you know that om particular days I write about things other than Vietnam memorials. Again, this year I want to feature another 9-11 memorial. As I travel the country to visit memorials to our brothers and sisters from 'Nam, I frequently see 9-11 memorials and always photograph them, too.

Today, I will show you the memorial I saw in Omaha, Nebraska

It is called "On the Wings of Angels" and was built by Woodsmen of the World, an insurance group, the people of Omaha and the 300 who had casts made of their hands for the "globe"

While I can find very little information about the site, it seems clear to me that the "silver" portion of the site are the Wings and the hands represent those that were lost.

Omaha has had a memorial service in a local park for those lost. It was started by the sister of a man killed in the towers. She places flags for each of those lost. This is a marvelous remembrance, I think, but it is not permanent as this one is.

In my research for this site a ran across some dissension. Some think we need not be reminded of these events. I think this is somewhat short sighted as in the not too distant future, those who actually remember will be gone, so these memorials, like all memorials, will remind our children and grandchildren of our past, our history.

300 citizens volunteered to have their hands cast to create this.

Dedication plaque

So, today, we honor those lost on that fateful day in NYC, Shanksville and D.C. I wonder will the world ever be the same.

Next time, in the 16th, we will return to Massachusetts, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see other memorials, from any state, click on the state name on the left side of this page,

Nebraska XIII

While simply wandering around Nebraska, I stopped in a town hall and asked about a local memorial. while there the nice young woman I was speaking to asked if I was aware of the one in Pierce, her home town? I was not, so she gave me directions on how to find it.

It was only about 30 miles away and what a great find. Several Walls covered with names of those who served from the area.

There are literally hundreds of names that served in 'Nam and I was able to find just one who was lost.

It is extremely rare to find a memorial that has not had names added after the site was dedicated. We are working on a memorial in my town and are working very hard to have it be complete and inclusive. We will see how that works out.


Listed down the right side of the "V" are WWII, Vietnam, Grenada, and Persian Gulf.

It is hard to see in these pics, but Grenada is misspelled (Granada), this stuff happens and there are no easy solutions in stone. I saw a memorial in York, Pennsylvania where a soldiers name had been misspelled and they decided to carve it again, in a slightly different place, correctly.

Located at Brown and Court Streets this memorial is easy to find and there is plenty of parking.

Next time, on the19th, we return to New York, so meet me there at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from Nebraska, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

Nebraska XII

Oakland lies about 60 miles north east of Omaha and I found this site there.

On a corner, amid artillery and other items is the Charles Rooth Memorial.

He is listed along with several others from previous wars and one other from Vietnam.

Among the numerous pavers that make up the plaza of this setting, I found a few others that said Vietnam, but it was not clear if they were lost there or passed on later or are simply being remembered.

Next time, on the 3rd of February, we will revisit New Mexico, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from Nebraska, or any other state. please click the state name on the left side of this page.

Nebraska XI

Fremont lies in Dodge County, Nebraska. At 16th and Luther is Clemmons Park and it is home to a memorial to the 14 from the area that were lost in 'Nam.

In front of the flagpole, outside of the Gazebo is this plaque honoring the 14 lost.

The Gazebo houses another tribute, perhaps an earlier one.

This one paraphrases the founding principle of Vietnam Veterans of America.

The first plaque comments on the fact that a tree was planted for each of the 12 lost and one more for the POW/MIAs. However, there are 14 names listed. I called the local newspaper to see if I could find out any more information. It is very common for memorials to be updated with new names over time. I would be willing to bet that every memorial I have ever visited has been updated.

The reporter who wrote the story I had seen no longer works at the paper, so I was put in touch with the editor who, very kindly, gave me the name and number of a local, highly involved, Vietnam vet. He was sure that this guy could help me. So, I called only to discover that both of the vets phone numbers are out of service. I called the paper back, but they were gone for the day.

So, as I so often do, I will turn to you to see of you have any information. If so, you can contact me here through the comments section or there is an email on the left side of the page that is private.

Next time, on the 26th, we will revisit Nevada, so join me, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Nebraska, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

Nebraska X

Beatrice lies in the southeastern part of Nebraska, bordering northern Kansas.

A town of a little more than 12,000, it has built a beautiful memorial park to all of her sons and daughters who have served.

The memorial is a 5 pointed star honoring each of the services and those who have served or are serving are listed and honored on plaques.

I noted these names, among others, all from 'Nam but could not discern any indication of how they fared. I was very pleased, that with a little research, to discover that Beatrice lost none of her own in 'Nam. This,  to me, makes the memorial even more meaningful.

The park, located at 6th Street and Perry Street, also has a series of raised placards telling the history of the towns service from 1875 to the present, among several other displays.

Next time, on the 30th, Memorial Day, look for a special post, as always, at 9:00am

To see other memorials from Nebraska, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.