Massachusetts XXII

In my last posting from Massachusetts, I shared some pics from my friend Jay Korff and promised to share more in the future and so today it is time to do just that.

Jay, as mentioned in the last post from Natick, is a reporter with the local ABC affiliate in Washington, DC and over the course of years has become a friend. He visited Natick, MA and sent me these photos.

I love it when others send me information, or corrections or photos and am always open to these contributions.

 

 

The Natick site has a couple of other features.

One is dedicated to the POW/MIAs of our nation, those that should never be forgotten.

You may know that the US and Vietnam have been engaged in a multi-year project to identify and bring home the remaining MIAs from that war. The number has been greatly reduced over the years, but, there is still much work to be done. Currently, there are still hundreds of our comrades unaccounted for as the work continues. One must only wonder if the job will ever be completed.

Detail from above

There are nearly 1250 still unaccounted for as of September. I checked my own state and there are still 23. You can check your own state here:

https://www.dpaa.mil/Our-Missing/Vietnam-War/Vietnam-War-POW-MIA-List/

Nearby is this interesting take on the Vietnam Service Medal.

So, this ends my photos that Jay so kindly sent me, but it gives me the opportunity, once again, to invite anyone who has pictures of Vietnam memorials not found on this site to join Jay, and Mike Minnick, and others and send them to me. I will happily give you a photo credit and all the gratitude you can stand!

Next time, in keeping with my yearly tradition, I will post about things unrelated to 'Nam to try to keep some Joy in the Season. So join me on the 20th, at 9:00am, to see whats up!

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

Colorado XXX

Colorado Springs as you probably know is the home of the Air Force Academy and if you follow this site you know that it also has a pretty remarkable memorial site not far away.

I have written about it often.

Today, I want to share what is probably the last one from this site that pertains to Vietnam and and we its vets.

I mentioned this one briefly in a past post but wanted to give it its due here. MIA/POWs are frequently mentioned and I expect always in the minds of those who participated in the war and probably many, many others. It there are nagging questions: what happened to them, are there any POWs still in captivity, will we ever resolve these issues?

 I, for one, harbor no illusion that these are any remaining POWs, but there are those who disagree. We may or may not ever know for sure. We do know that there are many still unaccounted for MIAs. There is a long running effort and cooperation between the US and Vietnam in a joint recovery task force to try to find and identify these lost. I believe the current number is in the neighborhood of 1300, down from 2645.

 

 

So, these memorials are important and a constant reminder of our duty to

be diligent and never ceasing in our efforts to bring our heroes home.

If you are interested in how many from your state are still MIA you can check here:

https://www.dpaa.mil/Our-Missing/Vietnam-War/Vietnam-War-POW-MIA-List/

 

 

My state, Maryland, is still missing 23, I admit I was surprised.

 

Some one must have visited today, as these offerings are removed each evening

Next time, on the 1st of May, we will revisit Connecticut, so meet me these, as always, at 9:00am.

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

New Jersey XIX

The memorial here is another of those with mixed information. It rests along the Cooper river in New Jersey in what I have seen called Memorial Grove.the confusion arises from where exactly this is. on some sites it is said ti be in Cherry Hill and on others, Pennsauken. Either way, they are not far apart from each other, so just get to Park Street and you will find it there among other memorials to the Holocaust and other sites.

I was on my way to the Vietnam memorial at the entrance to Veterans Island when I came across it. I am always happy to come across sites that i was unaware of. The Island was blocked off the day I was there and as I posted at the time it was horrible day, windy, cold, raining like hell, so I guess it was just as well. As posted elsewhere on this site , I did find the Vietnam memorial just outside the entrance to the Island and was able to get some pics, seen elsewhere here.

Standing alone, no signage of plaques of explanation, it honors those from a number of wars.

No names, but perhaps this is enough, no words necessary.

Next time, on the 11th, we will revisit New Mexico, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

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