North Dakota VII

So, it turns out that I am about 12 hours behind schedule today. At least I'm in on the right day. Better than far too often.

In keeping with my current efforts, today, I am going to share a little information about a few of the heroes from North Dakota. I have not spent too much time there but that does not diminish, in any way, the heroism of their efforts or the honor they deserve.

North Dakota Veterans Memorial

The memorial here as a unique feature which you can check out in my original posting, It is worth the effort as it is the only such element I have found in my travels.

Among the many listed and honored here are the following:

Roger D. Alberts

PFC Alberts was lost at Gia Dinh on February 2, 1968. His COD is listed as "Hostile fire...small arms fire...." He Is one of the first Native American I can remember having written about here. this gives an opportunity to remind all who might see this that no other group in America volunteers for service in greater percentages than Native Americans.

Thomas E. Alderson

Capt. Thomas Alderson was a passenger on a helicopter when it collided with a cargo plane. All aboard each were lost. This tragic event happened on October 3, 1968, in Thua Thien Province.

Dale H. Amundson

PFC Dale Amundson was lost in Quang Tin in a non-hostile drowning incident. He gave his life on October 30, 1968.

It has been a while since I have complained about the lack of information about the men and women who gave their all and their lives for their country, but such is the case. I think it is despicable.

Next time on April 28th, we will return to Ohio, so join me, as always, at 9 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.

North Carolina XL

 Graham, North Carolina is the home of this memorial to the many who served in our nation's conflicts.

The section honoring our brothers and sister contains 42 names. 

Today, we honor these.

Kemper S. Billings

BM1 Kemper Billings was lost overboard while in high surf on the Hue River. His body was found days later washed up on a beach. He was lost on October 20, 1966, in the Thua Thien Province.

Dennis C. Boone

SP4 Dennis Boone was an infantryman who was lost on September 2, 1968, at Hua Nghia Province to "Artillery, Rocket, Mortar" explosion. I note that his name is spelled Denis on the memorial in Graham.

William Bray

2LT William Bray led his men up a hillside under heavy fire. He took out a number of enemy combatants before being mortally wounded himself. Oddly, I think, several days later some of his men engaged a different group of NVA soldiers, killing several. They found on one of them Bray's weapon which had disappeared in the previous battle. He was lost on November 6, 1967, in the Quang Tin Province. He was awarded a Silver Star for his actions.

Next time on April 23rd, we will return to North Dakota, so join me, as always, at 9 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 York XXXIII

This small, local memorial in Port Jervis, New York honors ten from the area including two who were MIAs.

Today, a few of them.

Peter Paul Bohnwagner

SGT Peter Bohnwagner was lost October 26, 1970, at Lam Dong to small arms fire.

Thomas J. Case

PFC Thomas Case was lost on May 9, 1967, to an "explosive device" at Quang Nam.

Peter H. Garms

PFC Peter Garms was born in Port Jervis but grew up in Pennsylvania. He was lost 5 days after arriving in 'Nam in a training accident with a hand grenade. He was destined to be a clerk. Tragic: as were all the losses.

Next time on 18th, we will return to North Carolina, so join me there, as always, at 9 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 Mexico XXXIII

New Mexico, as you may know, is one of my favorite places. 

I have featured this memorial previously and today I am going to highlight and honor a few of the names remembered here.

The memorial is located in front of the Luna Mimbres Museum in Deming, New Mexico.

There are no names listed on this memorial but below are three of the heroes from the area lost in 'Nam.

Steve Duran

HN Steve Duran was a Nave Hospitalman who was lost in the Quang Tin Province on February 3, 1966. He was lost to "other explosive device...."

Clovis L. May

SGT Clovis L. May was lost at Quang Tin Province on May 22, 1969. He was lost to "rocket, mortar fire..."

Jimmy F. Nabours

WO Jimmy Nabours survived a helicopter crash but later died from his injuries. He was lost on June 30, 1970, in Cambodia.

Next time on 13th, we will return to New York, so join me there, as always, at 9 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 Jersey XXXIV

I am choosing to write about a place from which I have no memorial today. Manasquan is a beach town I visited with my buddy Tony after receiving my draft notice. I knew I had 30 days before reporting and decided to make the best of them.

I am not from New Jersey but many of my family were born there many years ago. So, it has always held a spot in my heart. In fact, a relative was the last owner of the once famous Palisades Park. He hosted us for a bit while we were in the area and gave us free run of the park.

But, enough of that. What I do have is two heroes lost in 'Nam.

I cropped this picture from his ID as no other useable photos were available.

Robert C. Kugelmann was working in the Tay Ninh Province on the morning or December 12, 1967. He collapsed and was rushed to the hospital at Long Binh where he died the morning after, 12/13/67 of a ruptured aneurysm. This is a very rare happening, approximately 0.3 percent. He was 21 years old.

Richard C. Stewart

LCPL Richard Stewart was killed on February 2, 1966, at Quang Nam Province. He was a rifleman and was lost to "other explosive device." He was 19 years old.

Next time, on April 8th, we will return to New Mexico, 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.

Vietnam Veterans Day

I've been seeing a lot of misinformation on-line about Vietnam War Veterans Day.

There seems to be "disagreement" about when it is and when it was established etc.

For the record: VVWD was established on March 29th, 2012. Not the 30th as I have seen, not in 2017 as I have seen far too often. 

It was the beginning of 13-year acknowledgement of the service and sacrifice of nearly nine million 'Nam vets, in addition to their families and others impacted by the war and our service. The program, which is still celebrated around the country, (too often on the wrong day) officially ended in 2025.

It has been 14 years, surely, we can, please, get it right!

Ok. Had to get that off my chest.

Next time, on April 3rd, we will return to New Jersey, 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.

New Hampshire IX

 Running just a little late today, so this one will be quick.

For as much time as I have spent tin New Hampshire you might think that I had a whole bunch of memorials but, that is not the case.

So, today, we return to Dartmouth University where I found a memorial to 21 lost alumni. As previously posted the memorial had been covered for the winter, but the names were still available. I hope someday to return to see and photograph it when fully on display.

William Smoyer

2Lt William Smoyer was on patrol when another patrol was ambushed. He led his group to their aide and suffered multiple gunshot wounds as did many other Marines. He was lost in the Quang Nam Province on July 28, 1968. He was actually from Princeton, NJ.

Duncan B. Sleigh

2LT Duncan Sleigh was, also lost in the Quang Nam province but on a different day in a different tragedy. The following is taken from VVMF's The Wall of Faces. In part, it reads:

"...2LT Sleigh crawled to one casualty and lay huddled over him as a shield when another rocket-propelled grenade landed less than a meter away, instantly killing 2LT Sleigh. He absorbed most of the shock with his body, not only saving the life of one Marine, but also preventing injury to others near him...".

Duncan Sleigh was from Massachusetts.

Philip Dennis Barger

Captain Philip Barger was shot down on a mission north of Da Nang on November 11, 1968. His plane was hit by ground fire and crashed. He was from Dallas, Texas

These men were all from different states, but all were heroes. Their memory does Dartmouth proud as all attended the college. Dartmouth BTW is actually a university but retains its historical title.

Next time, on March 29th, we will return to honor National Vietnam War Veterans Day, so join me here, 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.