Texas XXII

In Mineral Wells Texas is a wonderful museum and memorial site. Called the National Vietnam War Museum you can view my previous posts here and here.

One of the dominating features of the site is a memorial Wall to Camp Holloway, named for the first soldier lost at the site in 'Nam. Part of what makes this Wall unique is that the home of the lost is listed along with their names. I have seen memorials that name the counties of the lost but never anything this specific.This wall is a replica of one that was first built in Pleiku in 1966 to honor those lost at Camp Holloway.

Today, I will post some info about a few of the lost from Texas. 

Norman R. Garrett

Pvt Norman R. Garrett was one of seven who were killed in a February 7, 1965 Viet Cong attack on Camp Holloway. He was transferred to Ft. Sam Houston in Texas were he died of head wounds. He passed on February 15th.

George Markos

Cpt. George Markos was injured in the same February 7th attack on Camp Holloway. His chopper was shot down during the attack, he died from those injuries.

Freddy D. Dobson

Pfc Dobson's chopper was attempting to resupply a village at Phaun Son in the Quang Tin Province when it was shot down. Sadly, he had been married just six months before his loss.

Next time, on August 20th, we will return to Utah, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

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! 

Texas XIX

Mineral Wells, Texas is the home of a vast memorial site, I posted about it once before and you can see that post here.

Today, I thought I would share a couple more features of the site.

This half scale replica of The Wall is just one of the dominate features of this site.

 

 

The iconic Huey and a the 'Nam version of the Field Cross. These were first displayed in the Civil war to make where a soldier fell.

Interestingly, it has been renamed here as a Soldiers Cross, not sure why.

A better view of perhaps the most recognizable image of the Vietnam war.

The site, known as the National Vietnam War Museum is located at 12685 Mineral Wells Highway in Weatherford, Texas.

Next time, on the 5th of March, we will return to Virginia, so meet me there,  as always, at 9:00am.

Checking on line, I was pleased to see that the museum appears to be built and open and additional features added. When I visited it consisted of a trailer that was locked. So nice going to the guys behind this effort!

To see additional Vietnam memorials from Texas, 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!

Texas XVII

 Mineral Wells, Texas is the home of the National Vietnam War Museum, although several places and museums claim that distinction. How a museum is designated "The National.." is beyond my pay grade, I'll leave that for others to sort out.

What I can say is that this place, along Highway 180, west of Fort Worth is quite amazing.

While it contains many interesting components, artifacts, gardens, equipment, and walls, today I will concentrate on one of the first "Walls" placed.

It is a replica of the Camp Holloway Memorial Wall which was constructed in Pleiku after the death of CWO Charles Holloway, the first American killed at the camp. He died in December of 1962.

 

By 1965 several more Americans were lost and a wall was built to honor and remember them. It was dedicated in February of 1966 by General William Westmoreland.

 

It is said to have been the only memorial built to US Servicemen in Vietnam.

If you have followed this site for any length of time, you are aware of the ongoing conversation about which Vietnam memorial was the first.

 

Over the years I have seen many and have tried to answer that question and as of today, the Charlottesville, Virginia Vietnam memorial is the oldest I have found. It was dedicate in April of 1966.

It remains the oldest that I know about stateside, but The Camp Holloway Memorial Wall predates Charlottesville by a couple of months. The Wall in Pleiku is long gone but lives on in Mineral Wells. Interesting.

Charles Holloway is among the 254 Americans honored, the two below are from my state, Maryland.

 

Mineral Wells is about 45 miles west of Fort Worth on Route 180. It has grown greatly since I visited and now has many more things to see including a museum. When I was there the museum was simply a trailer that was locked with no one around. Their efforts are impressive and I hope to revisit sometime in the near future. In the meantime, I will post more about this interesting site in the future. 

Next time, on the 29th, we will come back east to visit Virginia. Join me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Texas, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.