Iowa XII

Iowa has one of my very favorite memorials.

It is an ever changing "rock art" site located near Menlo. You can read my original story about it here.

Freedom Rock, near Menlo, Iowa

Today, I will honor three from Washington, Iowa.

Willard John Friese

PFC Willard Friese was lost in Thua Thien Province to "multiple fragmentation wounds" He was an adopted child from Germany who spoke little English when he arrived in the US. He wanted to give back to the country that gave him so much. He was wounded on March 20, 1966, he was lost on the 21st.

Robert George Harvey

PFC Robert Harvey was lost on October 10, 1968 in the Quang Nam province. He was a victim of "other explosive device."

Larry Eugene Smith

PFC Larry Smith was lost to "multiple fragmentation wounds" on April 26, 1969, in the Tay Ninh Province. While clearing numerous bunkers a Claymore mine was detonated. PFC Smith and (if I am understanding the report) several others were lost.

Next time, on September 30th, join me in Kansas. See you, as always, at 9:00 am.

If you have been 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 (several times now), Colleen from Pennsylvania (now three times!) Elli from Maryland and Peg and Ray from Florida (more than once!), among others have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or from where you have traveled. I even got one from Ireland!

These generous submissions have help to expand the knowledge of how we remember and honor the men and women who served in or were lost in Vietnam.

If YOU have any such photos or knowledge about these memorials and sites not already here, I would love to know of them. Please send them along to the email address on the left side of this page and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all these listed here will encourage YOU to send along photos and join the group.

Indiana XIII

About an hour, or so, south of Indianapolis is Charlestown. Which began in the early 1800's as a Mill town. the population in the 1960s was around 6,000.

Indiana Vietnam Memorial, Indianapolis

Today, I would like to honor her three lost sons who gave their all in our efforts in 'Nam.

Richard E. Devore

SFC Richard Devore was lost on January 1, 1968, to "multiple fragmentation wounds." He was lost in the Tay Ninh Province. the only other thing I could find about him is that he was lost at a "hot LZ."

John Meigs Graham

PT John Graham who was lost to "small arms fire" in the Chau Doc Province, near the Cambodian border, on January 16, 1971.

The following was taken from VVMF's Wall of Faces Remembrances pages.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF A HIGHLY DECORATED ARMY OFFICER WHOSE NAME SHALL LIVE FOREVER MORE

"CAPTAIN JOHN MEIGS GRAHAM WAS A DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE OF THE USMA IN THE CLASS OF 1964 WHO WAS AN INFANTRY LEADER WHEN HE MET HIS UNTIMELY DEATH ON 1-16-1971. HIS MILITARY DECORATIONS INCLUDED THE SILVER STAR MEDAL, THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL WITH V DEVICE, THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL, THE AIR MEDAL WITH TWO OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, THE ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL WITH V DEVICE, THE ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL AND THE PURPLE HEART. IN ADDITION, HE WAS ENTITLED TO WEAR THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE."

William Howard Somerville

CPL William Somerville was lost to in a chopper crash in Quang Ngai Province. It was noted that he was not a crew member. He was lost on August 15, 1969. He was among a group of soldiers on their way to try to take out an antiaircraft weapon that was constantly being moved around by the enemy. All on board the chopper were lost when it was shot down.

Next time, on September 25th, join me in Iowa. See you, as always, at 9:00 am.

If you have been 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 (several times now), Colleen from Pennsylvania (now three times!) Elli from Maryland and Peg and Ray from Florida (more than once!), among others have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or from where you have traveled. I even got one from Ireland!

These generous submissions have help to expand the knowledge of how we remember and honor the men and women who served in or were lost in Vietnam.

If YOU have any such photos or knowledge about these memorials and sites not already here, I would love to know of them. Please send them along to the email address on the left side of this page and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all these listed here will encourage YOU to send along photos and join the group.

Illinois XX

Wabash (Vietnam Veterans) Plaza, Chicago, Illinois

2936 were lost in Vietnam from Illinois. Other sites dispute this number, but as I have said before, it depends upon whom you are including in that count.

I was in Springfield at the Illinois State Memorial memorial there (quite some years ago now) and the guy in charge told me they had recently (at the time) added the name of a guy who had been in a coma for thirty years. So, numbers are disputed, change over time and it makes me wonder if we will ever have an accurate accounting of the price that was paid?

To recall John Kerry, "Who will be the last to die?

All of that aside, today I will honor a few from Illinois.

Lyle Francis Kell

 CPL Lyle Kell was lost on December2, 1969. He gave all at Binh Duong and was lost as a "ground casualty" to "other explosive device."

Conrad Thomas Lange

LCPL Conrad Lange was in the Dong Nam Province on June 9th, 1967. Like CPL Kell above, he, too, was lost to "other explosive device." He and another solder were killed by booby trapped artillery shells.

Thomas John Mead

PFC Thomas Mead was lost to "accidental homicide" in the Thua Thien Province. He was lost on June 6th, 1969. It turns out that "accidental homicide" occurs when two groups of allied solders get in a fight and start shooting at each other. Two RF (regional forces) members were charged with the homicide but the 5 judge committee declined to convict. One of the two was later killed in battle.

All of these are from Wood Dale, Illinois.

Next time, on September 20th, join me in Indiana. See you, as always, at 9:00 am.

If you have been 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 (several times now), Colleen from Pennsylvania (now three times!) Elli from Maryland and Peg and Ray from Florida (more than once!), among others have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or from where you have traveled. I even got one from Ireland!

These generous submissions have help to expand the knowledge of how we remember and honor the men and women who served in or were lost in Vietnam.

If YOU have any such photos or knowledge about these memorials and sites not already here, I would love to know of them. Please send them along to the email address on the left side of this page and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all these listed here will encourage YOU to send along photos and join the group.

Idaho XII

Idaho lost a number of her sons and today as has become my habit, I will honor a few of them.

But first, I fudged on the above statement because the numbers vary so greatly depending on to whom you are listening. The US Army Center of Military History says 137 and as I reported in my first post from Idaho different sites state up to 251. You can see that first post here.

Today, three of them.

William Balt Hunt 

MSG William Hunt was lost on November 4, 1966, in the Tay Ninh Province. He was lost to hostile action, ground casualty. He died "while missing" and his body was never recovered. He was declared dead on April 7, 1976.

James Alton Lockwood

SP4 James Lockwood was lost in the Phu Yen Province on September 17, 1966. He  was killed outright by "multiple fragmentation wounds."

Glen Emery Shropshire

WO1 Glen Shropshire was lost in a chopper crash on July 31, 1967. He was lost at Pleiku and his body was never recovered

These men were all from Sandpoint, Idaho whose population in 1966 is estimated to have been about 4,200. What a tragedy that two of the three lost were never reunited with their families and loved ones.

Next time, on September 15th, join me in Illinois. Sees you, as always, at 9:00 am.

If you have been 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 (several times now), Colleen from Pennsylvania (now three times!) Elli from Maryland and Peg and Ray from Florida (more than once!), among others have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or from where you have traveled. I even got one from Ireland!

These generous submissions have help to expand the knowledge of how we remember and honor the men and women who served in or were lost in Vietnam.

If YOU have any such photos or knowledge about these memorials and sites not already here, I would love to know of them. Please send them along to the email address on the left side of this page and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all these listed here will encourage YOU to send along photos and join the group.

Hawai'i' VII

I've recently returned from Hawai'i', where I found a small memorial west of Honolulu. It honors a story we don't hear too much about.

Back in the 60's era the National Guard was often seen as a means to avoid going to Vietnam. Rightly or wrongly, this was too often the case.

The Guard just didn't get sent to 'Nam.

Or so we thought.  

We thought wrong.

Many thousands of Guard troops ended up in 'Nam and nearly 1100 from Hawai'i from the 29th Infantry served there: 29 of them made the ultimate sacrifice.

Today, I will share their memorial and, at a future date, some of the heroes all of whom are memorialized on a wall of photos inside the building adjacent to the memorial.

 

The memorial may be found on Enterprise Street in Kapolei, about 30 min. west of Honolulu.

Next time, on September 10th, join me in Idaho. Sees you, as always, at 9:00 am.

If you have been 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 (several times now), Colleen from Pennsylvania (now three times!) Elli from Maryland and Peg and Ray from Florida (more than once!), among others have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or from where you have traveled. I even got one from Ireland!

These generous submissions have help to expand the knowledge of how we remember and honor the men and women who served in or were lost in Vietnam.

If YOU have any such photos or knowledge about these memorials and sites not already here, I would love to know of them. Please send them along to the email address on the left side of this page and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all these listed here will encourage YOU to send along photos and join the group.