Kentucky IX

Today, we return to regular posts honoring those individuals who were lost served or memorials to those who served and/or were lost.

Three from Kentucky will be honored today. Their names are listed on the memorial in Simpson County.

Paul Douglass Aton

PFC Aton     was lost on July 29th, 1968. He was involved in ground combat and drowned. He was born in Texas but moved to Kentucky, enlisted from there and was buried there.

Ronnie L. Clayburn

LCPL Clayburn was lost 0n June 7, 1969 at Quang Nam Province by rocket or artillary fire. He, like PFC Aton above was from Franklin, Kentucky.

Earl W. Frye

PFC Frye was lost to artillary, rocket, or mortar fire on March 26, 1968.

The memorial honoring these men, among others, is located at the Franklin City Hall.

Next time, on January 16th, we will return to Louisiana and a brand new memorial to all 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. 

Season's Greetings #3 (2025/6)

So, I am up and running (walking, limping... you get the idea) so, I will finish off the variations from normal memorial postings today.

Today's pics come from a December trip to Arizona. I went to see various illuminations in Tubac, the botanical Garden in Tucson, and the Illuminations at Tohono Chul in north western Tucson. All were worth the trip.

I did not go to photograph them, simply to enjoy, so no "good " cameras went along. 

However, some of the sights were cool enough that I had to snap a few with my phone.

Today, to kick off this new year, a few of those.

Enjoy!

Tohono Chul horse sculpture as a Reindeer

Above photo illuminated

Next time on the 11th, we will return to Kentucky 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.

New Years Day 2026

I  had planned to end my yearly memorial deviations today with a third and final, post but the truth is I am quite under the weather and can't really get it done.

So, just a quick post to wish all a Happy New Year.

Check back on the 6th and if all as gone well, I will post the final non-memorial post for this season.

Next time on the 6th, I will post a few more pics from other places about other things and hope that you enjoy them .These will post, 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.

Season's Greetings 2025 #2

 The second of this years deviations.

Like many photographers, I am a sucker for sunsets

Next time on the 1st, I will post a few more pics from other places about other things and hope that you enjoy them (I like to remind myself, and others, each year that I am more than just a memorial photographer!) These will post, as usual, at 9:00 am. 

I wish those who celebrate any of the many, many celebrations that occur this time of year a happy and joyous celebration.

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.

Seasons Greetings #1 (2025)

As is my ongoing habit at this time of the year, I will be posting pictures that have nothing to do with Vietnam memorials. I think it is good to take a break, periodically, from a subject that can be a bit depressing.

So, in that spirit, here are todays pics.

In no particular order or rhyme or reason...

Winter in Maryland, who knew?

Summer in Delaware

Spring in D.C.

Next time on the 27th, I will post a few more pics from other places about other things and hope that you enjoy them (I like to remind myself, and others, each year that I am more than just a memorial photographer!) These will post, as usual, at 9:00 am. 

I wish those who celebrate any of the many, many celebrations that occur this time of year a happy and joyous celebration.

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.

Kansas XV

As we enter the holiday season, I would like to submit a few more heroes for our remembrance and respect.

I, once again, will call on the submissions from Molly Macdonald's visit to Kansas. Molly as you know, if you are a regular here, is among the group who have so generously contributed sites they have visited to this effort. My gratitude to Molly, and everyone else who has sent me pics, knows no bounds. Molly, and all the rest, have added greatly to the knowledge and completeness of these efforts.

I hope many more of you will join her in honoring the men and women who served and those who were lost.

These three are honored on a small memorial stone in Pratt, Kansas. Several other posts from this site may be seen elsewhere on this site.

Forrest Dean Hoeme

PFC Forrest "Frosty" Hoeme was lost on March 11, 1967. He was lost in an fierce fire fight that drove the VC from their compound. He was from Preston which is not far from Pratt.

Donald E. Moore

SFC Moore was lost on February 7, 1968 to rifle fire at Gia Dinh. His family consisting of his wife and seven children lived in Lancaster, PA. As a long time Army vet the family had lived in several places, but SFC Moore was a native of Pratt, KS. 

Next time on the 22nd we will return to my annual break from memorials, and as usual, I will post a few pics from other places about other things and hope that you enjoy them (I like to remind myself, and others, each year that I am more than just a memorial photographer!) These will post, as usual, at 9:00 am. 

I wish those who celebrate any of the many, many celebrations that occur this time of year a happy and joyous celebration.

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.

Iowa XI

Red Oak, Iowa is a small town(abt 5,000) with a lovely little park. The park honors several from the town who gave all in 'Nam.

Donald E. Powles

• Donald Eugene Powles: A Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, he died of wounds from hostile fire on September 13, 1968, in Quang Tri province, South Vietnam.
• 
  

• 

  Thomas Pollard

  
  Thomas Leroy Pollard: A Major, he died in Thua Thien on August 19, 1968.

Donald Pickering

• 
  
  Donald William Pickering: An Army PFC, he was killed in action on May 8, 1968, near Chu Lai, South Vietnam.
• It is interesting to me that all three of these men from Red Oak were lost within 3 months of each other and that all of their last names begin with the letter "P"

Odd what you notice after doing this for so long.

Rest in peace, brothers.

Next time, on December 17th. we will return to Kansas 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.