Michigan IX

Continuing in my Faces of Remembrance series brings us to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.

I've told the story of the statue War Cry elsewhere on this site and you might want to check it out.

Today, I just want to focus upon the faces.

There are only two and one is mostly concealed by the arm of the other, but it is still a moving and poignant depiction of a side of war we don't often see, and except in Vet Center PTSD groups, get to talk about.

First, here is the statue: War Cry

The following are the two shots of the soldiers involved. I have often said that anyone who tells you he wasn't scared in 'Nam, is a liar, or perhaps he was just never there.

At first, it disappointed me that I was unable to get a better pic of the second man's face, but perhaps that was purposeful on the part of the artist. Anonymity creates universality.

Know anyone who is suffering or struggling with the aftermath of 'Nam. or any other war? Get them to a local Vet Center, asap. The folks there do great work and are only there to help and advocate for vets. I can't recommend or praise them and their work highly enough.

Next time, on the 26th, we'll venture back to Minnisota, so, meet me there at 9:00am.

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

South Carolina III

I was actually in the Army's Navy. During the 'Nam era, the Army was said to have more watercraft than the Navy. Not battleships and the like, of course, but all kinds of vessels. I was trained on a number of them and spent some time running up and down the Mekong delivering everything from food to tons and tons of munitions. So, the Navy connection is very strong for me. We even did much of our training at Norfolk! As Army guys, you know we took some heat from the sailors, but we gave as good as we got, but in actual training exercises, we were all on the same team. Patriots Point in South Carolina, as mentioned in my last post, has the usual attractions of ships, planes and memorials. It goes a step, a large step, beyond these; it has recreated a Navy Technical Support Base, the only one in the country. It is like stepping back into 'Nam. Years simply slide away as you walk through the barbed wire encompassed area.

 

The ubiquitous sandbags. Once, while on "Light Duty" due to a recent, severe illness, I was assigned to sandbag duty and I remember that over that 10 day period I, personally filled over 8,000 sandbags. The crew that had been assigned to me filled many many more and we never knew where they went, but I was glad when my "Light Duty" was over.

 

Ammo dumps, like this one were everywhere. I once saw one go up, hit by something, it was like the 4th of July. You would never leave a chopper this close to a dump.

We were always escorted by these PBR's as we ventured down the river. They were always welcome company. We were, for all intents and purposes, unarmed. We had a few M-14's aboard but nothing else, so the twin 50 cals on these were our primary defense.

On the 6th, we will revisit South Dakota. Join me there at 9:00am.

To see other posts from South Carolina, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

South Carolina II

In Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, near Charleston, is one of the largest and most interesting sights I have visited. It is the home of the air craft carrier the U.S.S. Yorktown, a submarine, and other ships, a Medal Of honor Museum and other sights I will tell you more about in a later post. Today, I want to show you the memorial to the 161 from South Carolina's 1st Congressional District who are honored here.

The memorial could hardly be more simple. Four stones, reminiscent of grave markers, that dedicate the site and list all of the names. Surrounded by some field stones it rests just at the entrance to the larger park area. In fact, if you were not paying attention, you might just miss it.

 

In addition to this one to the 161, I found a couple of others throughout the park. The first is dedicated to those lost in Vietnam, who were members of a group called The Seawolves. The Seawolves were an Attack Helicopter Squadron and 44 of their pilots and door gunners were lost.

 

The final one that I saw was to a Medal of Honor awardee. Major Patrick Henry Brady, on one particular day in Vietnam, went through three choppers in fog shrouded areas to rescue 51 seriously injured soldiers. The three choppers were all seriously damaged but he managed to get those guys out.

Next time, on March 1st, I will show you a sight you can only see in South Carolina. At Patriots Point they have constructed a Navy Advanced Technical Support Base, the only one of its kind. I think it is easy, sometimes, to forget that not only the Marines and the Army fought valiantly in 'Nam. This Support Base brings that all home. So, join me at 9:00am on the 1st to take a step back into history.

To see other memorials from South Carolina, or any state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

Michigan VI

This memorial is located in Lansing and is called the Michigan Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The name differs because, as long time readers know, there is another Michigan Vietnam memorial in Mount Pleasant. That one can be seen by clicking on Michigan, on the left, and scrolling through 'til you find it.

Built in 2001 to honor the 2651 lost or missing, the memorial was refurbished in 2008 and 9 MIA's located over the years were re-designated as lost. I have written before about the efforts of the joint committee from both nations to repatriate all MIA's and this is a indicator of what can be accomplished.( Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command ) According to the provided link, the effort seems to be in disarray at the moment. Hopefully, it can regroup and I hope it never ends until every single person lost is fully accounted for and returned to their country and their loved ones.

This memorial is a 120 foot arch, ten feet high, with all of those honored listed by the country in which they lived. Benches are provided for meditation or contemplation.

Located at The Hall of Justice between Ottawa and Allegan Streets in an open area with a few trees and the usual flags.

I like this memorial, I like them all, but I think it is an interesting example of something I have mentioned before on this site. Memorials tend to have a "feel" to them. Some are clearly designed by the average guy who went to 'Nam and others have a more "corporate" or as I call it "State" feel to them. The non "State" ones sometimes feel a little busy, lots going on, like the one in Heck Park, in Monroe, MI. which I think is great. You can see what the vets involved really wanted us to see and understand (see Michigan memorials, as above) and others like this one, or the one in Boscawan, NH. seem, just more packaged, somehow. I am not sure that this is a problem, just an observation.

Next time, join me in Minnesota at 9:00am on the 21st of November.

To see other posts and memorials from Michigan, or any other state, click the state's name on the left side of this page.