Seasons Greetings 2024 #1

This is my first of what will be several, probably 3 or perhaps 4, non-memorial based posts over the holidays.

It does not see right to me to concentrate on the loss of our buddies, known and unknown, at a time that is supposed to be celabratory.

So, in keeping with my past deviations from the norm, as they used to say on Monty Python,

Now for something truly different!

In my travels I frequently run across things that interest me and today, it is old cars. I have always loved these old beauties and couldn't pass up the chance to grab a few shots.

1930 ford

1931 Ford

1930 Chevy

Found all of these in Arizona and they are actually used as advertising for a company there. 

Next time, on the 23rd, check back to see what else I can come up with that may interest you. As always, at 9:00 am. 

To see Vietnam memorials from any state and Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico click on the individual names on the left side of this page.

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, Colleen from Pennsylvania, 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.

Arizona XL

Arizona, as you know if you follow along, is one of my most visited states because my wife does a lot of business there, so we visit at least yearly if not more often.

The state like most western states is huge which presents obvious problems for me as most of her visits are work is in the southern end of the state.

There are memorials in other parts of the state that are just not within driving distance for me. I have planned trips to these more far reaching areas but events beyond my control have caused those efforts to fail. I will make additional attempts.

Today, I want to return to Eloy, as previously promised, which lies between Tucson and Phoenix just off I-10.

The Eloy Vet Center has an extensive memorial site. You can see previous posts from it here and here.

This lone soldier is highlighted here.

As is my holiday custom, next time on the 18th, and for a couple of posts beyond that I will take a break from featuring memorials and post other pics I hope you will enjoy. This, I think, allows us to stay in touch but more easily enjoy the seasons. It also allows me to reassure myself that I am not a one dimensional photographer. So return, as always at 9:00 am and see what I have found.

To see additional memorials from Arizona, 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, Colleen from Pennsylvania, 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.

Wisconsin XXII

I wonder if Joan has followed along and seen the tremendous impact she has made upon this site and the many, many vets, and others, who frequent it?

For those who don't know, Joan stumbled over this site and sent me photos of a traveling Vietnam War tribute circulating through Wisconsin. Over the months I have posted a number of photos from the exhibit.

Sadly, I have lost contact with Joan and wonder if she is well. Her email address keeps bouncing back as "undeliverable." So, I have no way to reach and thank her, again, for her generous contribution.

Below you can see a few of the others who have added so much to A Means to Heal and I hope you will be moved to join them and do the same.

Today, a few more of the heroes from Wisconsin:

These are pictures of pictures of pictures so they may not be up to the very finest in photographic quality and I will never be able to pay tribute to all of the lost from Wisconsin, or probably anywhere else, but those who pictures I can find will be so honored here.

Next time, on December 13th, we will return to  Arizona, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see 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, Colleen from Pennsylvania, 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 XLVII

More than 7,000 dead.

More than 1,300 monuments.

Wandering among these, the history, the tragedy, the monumental loss of the deadliest battle of the Civil War, you might never imagine that a memorial to those lost in Vietnam would exist.

You would be mistaken.

Gettysburg College honors the 14 lost to the war, including one Medal of Honor recipient.

Gettysburg is a small college founded in the early 1830's, it currently has a student population of about 2,200. In the very few records I could find then population was not terribly different during the war years.

 

"We leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning

We were young. We have died. Remember us."

                                                                                       Archibald MacLeish

This oft repeated quote from Archibald MacLeish sums up the hopes of the lost.

 

 

The College has said it well, too.

Thanksgiving Day 2024

I'm taking a break today to spend time with family and friends. I hope all of you are too. To my vet friends, while giving thanks today, in whatever manner you do so, remember to be thankful that you made it back!

Take a moment to be thankful that we have young men and women, all over the world willing to be away from their homes and, possibly, make the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I think one of the silver linings of Vietnam is that we have learned not to blame the soldier for decisions made by others. Whatever your views are on this war or that war, remember those who are away, and most likely very homesick this Thanksgiving 2024.

Next time, on December 3rd, we will return to Pennsylvania, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see memorials from any 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, Colleen from Pennsylvania, 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.

North Carolina XXVII

I return, once again, to North Carolina where I did my Basic and have had relatives, off and on, since before the American Revolution.

This site in Broadway continues to draw me back to honor the many who served and were lost in many wars, but especially in Vietnam. every time I look at my photos from my visit, I find new names of those who served and/or were lost.

Today, a few of each.

The above group honors some of those who served.

While these two were among the many lost.

There is, after-all, not too much more that can be said about those who served or were lost in this effort. Each had his or her reasons and chose to answer the call of their Nation. We may debate forever the wisdom of those efforts (as hindsight is always so clear!) but their sacrifice is not debatable.

Next time, on the 28th, a day early I know, I hope you will stop by for a Thanksgiving Day wish and then on December 3rd, we will return to 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, Colleen from Pennsylvania, 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.

Maryland XLIV

I had an idea a few years back that I would like to photograph the Maryland Vietnam Memorial from the air.

I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this as I knew it would be quite expensive. The desire finally won out, I rented a helicopter and made the trip and took the pictures.

At the time I was also working on the print version of this site (also called A Means to Heal) and included some of those shots within its pages. And completely forgot to share them here.

So, today, a few shots from the air over Baltimore, Maryland,

 

and a few others from within the site.

In the beginning there was an eternal flame here, but it has failed and seemingly cannot be repaired.

Each of the panels has names of the lost or missing inscribed upon it alphabetically, by month.

It shocked me when I saw the pics as it had not occurred to me that this is essentially a stone circle: calling to my Celtic roots!

The memorial is located at the foot of Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, (formerly the Hanover Street Bridge) just off route 95 in Baltimore in Middle Branch Park on Waterview Avenue.

Next time, on November 24th, we will return to North Carolina, 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, Colleen from Pennsylvania, 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.