California XLI

I wrote, briefly, about Redondo Beach some time back and decided that it is now time to do a more complete post. You can see the original here.

As mentioned in the previous post a new memorial has been completed on this site. 

Literally steps from the Pacific Ocean, this beautiful site is dedicated to many.

Those who served are remembered here along with the lost on the original memorial posted earlier.

I have placed a call to the people responsible for this beautiful tribute to see if i can gather any other interesting information. You may count on the fact that I will update with anything I learn.

This was a lucky stop for me and I hope I will find additional info for you, but in the meantime, join me on 4th when we will return to Colorado, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from California, or any other site, 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!

Arizona XXXII

Sierra Vista is south, somewhat, of Tucson and I had read that there was a small memorial at the local college and another at a park in the town. You can see the one at the college here.

When I visited the park I could find nothing, I asked a number of the various people visiting that day and all agreed that they knew nothing of any memorial within the park.

As I was leaving, I saw this flag pole and went over to see what it was. And, in fact, there is a small memorial, albeit very non-specific, in the park. I snapped a couple of shots and because I was, now, even more convinced there was nothing more specific to 'Nam was on my way.

Some months later, now, I came across it once again in and wondered who the two people mentioned on it were, why were they honored here.

The first name, Mr. Lopshire, lead to nothing relating to 'Nam or my projects. The second name, Art Orstrander, it turns out, was a Vietnam vet, injured on duty and eventually mustered out: voluntarily or not, I could not determine, as he served ten years. Neither could I find if the injuries involved were while in 'Nam or not.

He is, nonetheless, a 'Nam vet and for whatever reason is remembered and honored here. We owe him that much.

It seemed too great a coincidence that I had heard about a memorial here and that this could not be connected.

Therefore I present it to you today.

Next time, on the 30th, we will make a return visit to California, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from Arizona, or any other state, please click on 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!

Wisconsin XIV

Some years ago I wrote about the Native American memorial in Neelsville and how one of the information plaques refers to "The Forgotten Warrior." Wisconsin (one of the first states to welcome Lao Hmong immigrants) distinguishes itself by having a memorial to another group that few know about and get, perhaps, even less credit than Native Americans.

In Deland Park in Sheboygan, just on the shores of Lake Michigan, resting in quiet dignity is a memorial to the Lao-Hmong. These fearless warriors fought throughout Laos, in The Secret War, to aid and ultimately protect Americans fighting in 'Nam. Some were just boys barely as tall as their weapons. It is said that one in five men and boys were lost, 20% of the population. Imagine if one in five American soldiers had been lost, let alone 20% of the population!

So, today, I am going to share a few pictures of the memorial and in a future post I will feature the deeper story.

The outside of the memorial is decorated with these mosaic likenesses of those who participated in the war, some military and some civilian.

I have been unable to track down if these are specific people or merely representations of the population. I will. as have done so often in the past, ask for your assistance. If you know anything, please contact me at the email on the left side of this page.

This is one of the many educational panels I mentioned earlier in this post. It is as true today as it was when the vet first said it.

Each of us has his own story and if every single one is not collected and known then the story will always be incomplete. It makes you wonder how much we will never know. My guess? Inconceivably more than we do.

In a future post I will share more of the story of these unknown and mostly unheralded heroes. I recently read that there is another memorial further north in Wisconsin, maybe I'll get there one day.

Next time, on the 25th, we will revisit Arizona, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Wisconsin, or any other state, please click on 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!

West Virginia XV

On my last trip to the Morgantown area I was able to get to the high school and check out a memorial there to the young men from the school who gave all in Vietnam.

I was wondering around the grounds and eventually ran into a teacher who went well out of his way to help me track down what turned out to be a really great memorial.

Even though it is right out in the open it is somewhat camouflaged by bushes growing around it. I most likely would have found it, or at least stumbled over it myself, but the teacher's help was greatly appreciated.

He told me about the staff member who was primarily responsible for the memorial, but who was not there at the time. I left my card in the hope that he might contact me, but I never did hear from him.

The memorial consists of two parts: a black granite (?) Wall and two separate stands with the pictures of each of the valiant young men and some info about each.

Today, I will share The Wall honoring the 18 young men and post their pictures at a later time.

Next time, on the 20th, we will revisit Wisconsin, so meet me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from West Virginia, or any other state, please click on 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!

Washington XXII

I discovered another overlooked memorial while browsing through my pictures from one of my several trips to Washington.

I had really incomplete information about just where this memorial was located and the little I had was of little use to my GPS. So, around and around I drove, nearly giving up, more than once.

Located in Sunset Gardens Cemetery (915 Bypass Highway) in Richland, finally found it overlooking a pretty duck pond.

Placed by VFW Post 7952, it honors 48 from the area.

Next time, on the 15th, we will return to West Virginia, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Washington, 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!

Virginia XXIX

This beautiful memorial in Stafford, Virginia was dedicated in 2017 making it one of the newer memorials I've visited.

It, as so many do, commemorates and honors those from many wars, here, the Revolutionary War through the GWOT.

While some of the borders of the site are edged with stones honoring many, the initial corner, guarded by a gold eagle, is reserved for those who gave all.

Several of our comrades are included among the lost.

I did not choose this man for any particular reason, he was just the first of the few I came across.

This final shot, for today, is of the larger memorial and I promise to return to tell you more in a future post.

Next time, on the 10th, we will revisit Washington, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Virginia, 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!