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.

Delaware

 ***Note: I have no idea why the last post, Veterans Day 2024 posted as it did. I attempted several times to correct the incorrect print alignment, but could not fix it. In the view I see as I am writing, it is perfect, but the end result, how it appears on the actual site is faulty. If you have any suggestions, I would live to hear them!

 

So, Veterans Day is past and on to the promised post from Delaware.

On my last visit to "The first State" I had read or been told about a memorial at a local VFW. I was able to track it down and it is is impressive for what I often find at these places. (usually a nice plaque or similar.)  

Lots and lots of names but for the life of me  could find no indication that it was a Vietnam memorial. No particular war was singled out but there wee too many names for some of them not to be of those lost in 'Nam.

As you can see there are many names listed here on all sides of the monolith and also special plaques along the brick walls. If you are from this area and know anything more about this site, I would love to hear from you and update this with additional information.

The memorial is located at: 4941 Wheatleys Pond Rd, Smyrna, DE

Next time, on November 19th, we will return to Maryland, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Delaware, 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.

Veterans Day 2024

I know that I promised a post from Delaware for today, but opted, instead, to honor veterans Day a bit early. This will post at 11:11 am. to honor the signing of the Armistice ending WWI. November 11th was originally called Armistice Day, honoring that momentous event.

Veterans Day honors ALL WHO SERVED no matter when or where. Confusion still seems to exist concerning this. I am not sure why but it does. So, once again, Veterans Day honors all, Memorial Day honors those who paid the highest price for their country and Armed forces Day honors all who are serving.

A Means to Heal actually attempts to both honor those who served and those who were lost. Many memorials around the country honor the lost and those still MIA but, over the years more and more sites go out of their way to honor all who served. If you browse this site (and I hope you do) you will find many memorials that actually do both. 

I try each year to come up with something fitting to pay tribute to all who served. 

Each year The Department of Veterans Affairs creates a new poster honoring Veterans.

Below is this years rendering. I could no better than this.

By the way, if you go to the Department of Veterans Affairs you can see the posters going back many years.

WWW.VA.gov

 

Next time, on November 14th, we will return to Delaware as previously promised, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional 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.

California XLIII

As Veterans Day approaches I want to feature a few of those highly deserving of the honor of being called veterans. 

These following pictures are from the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. They are POWs who were freed at the end of the war. 

Regardless of what you may think of the war and its stated purposes, no one can deny that these paid a terrible and lasting price. 

They deserve our honor and respect.

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

To see additional memorials from California, 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.