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.

North Carolina XXV

Broadway, North Carolina has a marvelous veterans memorial. We have visited it previously and you can check out those posts here and here.

I noted in the original posts that there are a couple of different lists of those who served in 'Nam and that I did not see any explanation for the difference.

These names are all marked as KIA from Vietnam forward. This is not the case with those from previous wars listed here. I am trying to track down the correct information. I will update if I am able to do so.

Today, as promised, I will feature a few of those from Vietnam all of whom are designated as KIA. 

These are but a few of the many from various wars remembered and forever honored here.

 

   

The memorial was built with donations and is expected to be a place of gathering and celebration of our way of life. Water fountains, picnic tables park benches, and lighting are available for those wishing to honor and celebrate these heroes..

It is located at 210 South Main Street.

Next time, on the 21st, 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 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.

West Virginia XX

Morgantown, as I have mentioned before, has a number of their lost heroes honored at the local high school. Eighteen of Morgantown High School's classmates bracket a flagpole and "Wall" seen elsewhere on this site.

In Case it has slipped by unmentioned, West Virginia  has the highest percentage of loss per capita of any state.

Today, I will honor several more of the group whose tribute is featured on the school grounds.

These men among the others here and elsewhere deserve our respect and to be remembered for all time

Next tune, on the 21st, we will return to Wisconsin, so join me there, as always, at 9:00 am. to honor more from their traveling memorial.

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

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. 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.

Pennsylvania XLIV

We return to Reading today to see a few more of the numerous tributes found surrounding the main memorial, which you can see here.

Walking around the park like, wooded site you come upon any number of these smaller, often personal, stones and dedication plaques.

 

There are more of these surrounding the site, I will post others in the future.

Next time, on the 16th, we will check back in on West Virginia, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Pennsylvania, or any other state, please click on a state name on the left side of this page. Please note that Canada, Ireland, and Puerto Rico have been added to the list. 

As is now my custom,  I will ask anyone who has pictures of Vietnam memorials not shown here, to send then to me and I will include them (giving you full credit.) Any number of you have added knowledge and honor to this site by doing just that. It is always appreciated and makes this effort better, more completed. Thanks to those who have contributed and to anyone who will do so now or in the future.

Wisconsin XVIII

It has been quite a long time since I was in Wisconsin and until I have the chance to return I am going to keep referring back to the info that Joan Geraldson sent me. Joan stumbled across this site and sent me a number of photos that she took of the Wisconsin memorial that travels around the State. It honors many and reminds all who see it to remember the bravery, service, and sacrifice made by those to whom it pays tribute.

Called Wisconsin Remembers it was part of the effort to gather a photo for every name on The Wall. that was part of the effort to build an Education Center at the Wall. That effort was never completed, but you can see all the faces collected at The Wall of Faces.( https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/)

These men among all the others here made the supreme sacrifice.

As always, I will feature only a few at a time as to give them their due.

                                                          

I will post additional photos of the heroes from Wisconsin over time.

Next time, on the 17th, I hope to have a special St. Patrick's Day post, so, join me here, as always, at 9:00 am.

To see additional memorials from Wisconsin, or any other state, please click a 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 just like Joan did! (Thanks again to Joan and all the others who have helped to make this site better by contributing.) 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 for that matter. Please send them to the email at the left or directly to me at Ldddad@comcast.net. Thanks.

Wisconsin XVI

Today, I have the great pleasure of sharing some pics from Wisconsin, not that I have been there in quite some time.

Joan Geraldson was looking for a friend on line and ended up seeing some of these posts and so very kindly forwarded me some of her own pictures.

They are from a program called Wisconsin Remembers that was part of the effort to put a face to every name on The Wall. It was in conjunction with the effort to build an Education Center, underground, at The Wall in DC. that effort is now defunct, funding could not be secured.

The following are just a few of the pictures that Joan sent me, I will post others in a future post.

When I first began this project I was adamant that I take every picture that appears here. I felt it was my duty to stand in front of every memorial and pay my respects to my (our) lost brothers and sisters. So, it is great surprise how happy it makes me to share the photos from others. If you are following along, you know that in the last several post many are just that: pictures sent to me by others.

It gives me hope that others seeing these will do the same.

Thank you, again, to Joan for her kindness.

Next time, on the 26th, we will return to Arizona, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

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

If you follow along here you know that I always ask readers to send me any memorials, that I have not featured here, that they may have seen, just like Joan, Anthony, Molly and others, I promise to give photo credits (which might only matter to professionals) and hope that some might do so. A number of you have honored me and our fellow vets by doing just that and I hope this will encourage more of you to get in touch.

If you have photos, please send them to the address at the right side of this page.

Memorial Day 2023

Commemorating those lost in battle can be traced to 361 BC. in Greece following the Pelopennesian Wars.

Here in America what later became Memorial Day began just after the Civil War, was expanded to include all soldiers lost after WWI and didn't become a national holiday until nearly the end of the Vietnam war. (1971)

When I was a boy, people handed out poppies to commemorate the dead, due in large part to the following poem. Written be a surgeon during WWI, the poem came to speak for so many.

I include it here, for you today.

 

 In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 

Between the crosses, row on row,     

That mark our place; and in the sky     

The larks, still bravely singing, 

fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. 

Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,     

Loved and were loved, 

and now we lie,         

In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw     

The torch; be yours to hold it high.    

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow         

In Flanders fields.

There is a hill just opposite my home that is covered with poppies each spring, I never fail to think of the lost each time I drive by it.

Remember, today at 3pm, to take on minute to honor those who were lost in our wars.

Next time, on the 3rd, we will return to Texas, so join me there, as always at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials from any state, please click on a 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.

Tennesee IX

For the life of me I cannot figure out how I missed posting this site. I guess when you take literally thousands of pictures and are not that great, though I do 

try, at cataloging, it is bound to happen.

While the above probably sounds like just more whining from me, it is actually a happy thing. I am always pleased when I can find something new to share.

Located at the Coffee County Courthouse on North Spring Street the memorial shares space with WWI, WWII, and Korean War Memorials. 

 I have read that there are now additional memorials and artifacts on this site.

 

The inscription on the memorial reads as follows:

"In everlasting and honored memory of the young sons of Coffee County who gave their lives in America's most unpopular war, they died not in vain because all served honorably and faithfully and our surviving veterans carry the torch of freedom to pass on to a new generation." (italics mine)

Four names have obviously been added to the site over time bringing the total to 25. I noted with some interest that Coffee County VFW lists only 17 as lost. Not sure why. 

 

The memorial was placed here in Manchester 1985.

Next time, on the 28th, we will return to Texas, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Tennessee,  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!

New Mexico XXIII

Got a late start today, so this is posting a couple of hours later than usual. Hope to be back on schedule on the next post.

It is said that the New Mexico slogan, Land of Enchantment, comes from Las Cruces. Stunningly beautiful, it more than lives up to this compliment. 

In addition to its natural beauty Las Cruces has quite a remarkable Veterans Park. I have posted from here in the past and promised to return for additional posts. You can see those earlier posts here and here.

 

Some of these new pics come from my visit to the park while the Vietnam memorial seen above was still being planned, so some may seem redundant or perhaps insufficient.  Trust me, they did a great job on the stand alone 'Nam memorial.

 

 

 

This is a place that deserves a visit should you find yourself in the area. It is located at 2651 Roadrunner Parkway.

Next time, on the 24th, we will revisit New York, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from New Mexico,  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!

Indiana XII

Well, first off let me say that the poster featured in my Veterans Day post did not post correctly. I have no idea why as it looks perfect in my view. I have tried to adjust it to no avail, so click on the link in the post and you will be able to see it (and many others as it should appear.)

Today, we return to Terra Haute, Indiana for a look at the face in their memorial. See the original post here.

The memorial here honors all but especially the 27 from the surrounding five counties.

This guy represents them all.

I see resignation in this face or perhaps a realization that this is not going well. It always amazes me what an artist can do with the materials the work in.

I have read that there is an effort to move this memorial to a new location. I have not determined that it has actually happened. If I find out, one way or the other, I will surely up date you.

Next time, on the 24th, look for a Thanksgiving wish, as always at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Indiana, or any other state, please click 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 XVIII

My very first post from Texas was from a cemetery in Austin. Atop the memorial were three combat soldiers, practically in miniature, you can see that post here.

As is so very often these days I have gone back to try to feature the faces from memorials, today, Texas.

The memorial as noted in the original post is in the Texas State Cemetery where it stands among many other Texas dignitaries and as usual the quality of these pics suffers from the condition of the statue itself and the fact that i had not yet conceived the idea of the Faces of Remembrance series so I was not concentrating on that aspect of the site. Lessons learned.

Here are the three faces from the site.

But, fear not, I have finally gotten back on the road and have visited New Mexico and Arizona and will be in Colorado in a couple of weeks and then on to New York state, so, more memorials on the way. I appreciate your patience and trust that I will be able to post more complete memorials in the very near future.

This does not mean, however, that I don't want you to send me any memorials not seen here! I will, as promised, give you due credit.

Next time, on the first of October, we will return to Virginia, so meet me there as always 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.

In my last post I promised to share some pictures from New Mexico today. As has so often been the case recently I was going to share some faces from a memorial in Tejeras. Check out the full post here.

But, today (8/15/22) I read an article posted from a local radio station (WTOP) about how the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) had announced that the effort to find a photograph of every hero listed on The Wall had finally been completed.

 

 

The effort began in 2001 with one volunteer and after more than two decades is finally complete. 58,281 pictures have finally been compiled. The effort will continue as some of the photos are of poor quality and they would like to find additional information for some. This is still a huge milestone.

As you may know there was an effort to build an Education Center at The Wall which would have featured all the photos, all the mementos left at The Wall  by visitors and much history, but the effort failed and it will not be built.

My efforts as you know have mostly been "portraits" taken from statues and other memorials from around the county, but now you can see every face on The Virtual Wall. https://www.virtualwall.org/faces/iphot174.htm.

So, go and check out the completed Wall of Faces project and if you are not in the DC area watch out for The Wall that Heals, a traveling version of The Wall that wanders the country all year. https://www.vvmf.org/The-Wall-That-Heals/     It is remarkable.

My thanks to Melissa Howell of WTOP radio in Washington DC for permission to use her article as a guide. You can check it out here.

Here is the announcement from Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund released a couple of days ago.

Next time, we will return to New Mexico as previously promised, so join me there on the 22nd at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials from any 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 Ldddad@comcast.net or the email listed on the left.

Florida XXV

 

I have written before about the remarkable Veterans memorial in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It has many unique components and you can read that post here.

Today, once more, I as concentrating on the soldiers, the lost and those who mourn them.

This face, taken from the statue called, "The Warrior" is center state of the Santa Rosa memorial. His face, looking down at the dog tags in his hand, says it all.

The following was taken directly from the Santa Rosa County website:

The Warrior

"The Warrior will be a bronze statue that is approximately 7 feet tall on a 30-inch pedestal, placed in the center of the plaza. He will be leaning on his weapon as though he has come out of battle. He has lost some of his fellow soldiers. His face expresses the agony of war. In his left hand he is holding dog tags that he has taken from one of his fallen buddy’s neck. The Warrior is reflecting on his loss. On The Warrior’s base the inscription reads: “Fallen, Never Forgotten.”

Someday, I may do a separate series highlighting all the faces in one place, but for now, I will simply ask you to join me on the 28th, at 9:00am, as always. We will be revisiting Georgia for more Faces of Remembrance heroes, so meet me there. This time for actual photographs of the heroes.

To see additional memorials from Florida, or any other state, please click 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.

Delaware XVII

About 5 miles southwest of Wilmington, Delaware is Newport and I had heard or read that there was a memorial there. So, on a recent trip to the area I decided to check it out.

As luck would have it when it came to writing about it, I could find absolutely nothing. I had my pics, but no information.

Not one to give up easily, I searched and searched my various sites to gather some information. Nothing. So, I began to wonder how it was that I even knew to go see it? I could not find a trace of it in my notes etc., but the info had to be somewhere.

Happily, in stumbling around the internet I was able to discover that it was originally a Pearl Harbor Memorial.

Note that the weapon is sinking to the left.

 

Dedicated on December 7th, 2014 it includes a number of markers to a number of our Nation's wars.

 Vietnam is among them.

I found it interesting that the dates and the numbers seem to date from The Gulf of Tonkin era. This is not too uncommon although I am never sure why this happens. We had had soldiers in 'Nam for nine years by 1964, the first of which was killed in 1956 and the final total of those lost is 58, 279.

 I have written before about what sometimes seems to be an effort to rewrite history, often, it seems, to blame Kennedy or Johnson for our involvement in Vietnam. I could be very wrong but it often feels as if there is a political agenda behind these efforts. As I said, I could be wrong, I hope so.

This memorial may be found at the intersection of E. Market Street and S. Augustin Street in Newport.

Next time, on the 29th, we will return to Florida, so join me there at 9:00am.

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

South Carolina VII

I have written before about Patriots Point. I keep coming back to it because it is the one site I have visited that replicates, to some degree, actually being in 'Nam. the folks here have done a magnificent job of creating a Navy Technical Support Base. I know that there is something akin to this, Army I think, in Florida but have not yet been able to get there.

When this damn pandemic allows me to get back on the road, I hope to visit. Like many of us who were in country, I am highly susceptible to this stuff, so I wait, sometimes not as patiently as others.

The towers always attracts me, there is only one here and this is just a slightly different view of it.

South Dakota XIV

This final post from Vietnam in our words will highlight just a few more components of this great exhibit. Housed in the Old Court House Museum in Sioux Falls it is well worth a visit if you find yourself in this beautiful part of the country. I do not know if this is a permanent display of if it is traveling so you might want to check that out before you go.

Guest books are scattered on some tables throughout the displays. I read only a few as, somehow, they seemed private to me. I know that is illogical, but it is how I felt.

The page on the left asks for info about a particular soldier and the one on the right is from a child, talking about her great grand father who,it appears, may have fought in WWII.

A Peace pin handed to a returning soldier in San Francisco.

A Purple Heart awarded to a soldier and donated to the exhibit by his family.

 

Field Crosses, in-country.

To end this tour on a less somber note, here is an example of typical American humor. One of the places I was was Vung Tau and the guys there had a big sign on one of the barracks saying, "Vung Tau Stables," though I must say that this one is much more elaborate it still reflects our need for humor in any and all situations.

Next time, on the 27th, we return to Texas. Join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

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

South Dakota XIII

Wandering through the many exhibits at the Old Court House Museum in Sioux Falls, reveals any number of interesting sights and details. In this third post from there I will highlight just a few.

"Sand bags" and photos tell some of the story of everyday life. I was briefly in charge of a sand bag filling operation while on light duty due to a severe infection of some, still, unknown origin. We filled thousands and thousands of these ubiquitous reminders of ever present danger, but I never saw them placed. It makes you very aware of the magnitude of the efforts to protect ourselves and our people, equipment and facilities.

The state has an exhibit touting the beautiful memorial in Pierre. Each vet who attended was given one of the special License plates shown here to proudly display on their cars.

This will surely bring back some memories. In an effort to not give away position, dog tags were often taped together or one laced in a boot and the other around your neck. We used band-aids as they were easier to come-by than tape.

 

More of the story is told on a nearby panel and as you may know, eventually "tags" were edged with rubber or plastic (I never had any of these so I am not sure which) eliminating the need for rubber bands, tape, or band-aids.

Those that participated in the interviews for Vietnam in our words are given recognition throughout the displays.

Next time, on the 22nd, we will visit the last few exhibits from this site. Join me at 9:00am on the 22nd.

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