Independence Day 2013

Today, Independence Day, 2013, like most Americans, I am thinking about freedom, the right to self-determination, and in a larger sense, human rights.

I have written before about how this journey to visit, photograph and honor Vietnam memorials around the nation has been fraught with incidents or coincidences for which I have absolutely no explanation. My wife attributes these to some greater plan that is ensuring that this work gets done, and done by me. I, on the other hand, scoff at this idea (and most others of this sort) but these things do keep happening. I am at a point where I no longer have much of an argument for her.

The latest of these events took place recently while we were in Texas. I had set up a schedule which included a long day trip to Houston and Galveston to see the memorials in these cities.

We had just this one day, so I was disappointed to arise to nasty weather.  It was cloudy, rainy, grey and completely uninviting. I stalled around hoping the day would improve. It did not and not, surprisingly, neither did my mood. The worse the weather got, the fouler my mood became. As you might guess these trips are not always easy and missed opportunities are not easily reclaimed.

When I was finally forced to give up on this long trip it was mid afternoon.  To try to salvage something, we decided to visit the LBJ Library in Austin, not too far from where we were staying. This, at least, would give me a chance to see a model of the proposed Vietnam Memorial that is to be constructed on the Capitol grounds.

As we were preparing to go, my wife said, “Maybe this means something else is supposed to happen.” And, as always, I scoffed. I said something like “Even if that is true, it certainly won’t happen if you expect it or ask for it!” 

While at the Johnson Library, I was surprised to find an exhibit by a local artist who had created a display of dog tags, accurately inscribed, with the names of the more than 3100 Texans who lost their lives in Vietnam. It was breathtaking and I was able to photograph it. (Pics of these and the model of the coming memorial will be posted on this site at a future time)

While speaking to a docent at the library, she suggested we take the time to go see ”What Austin used to be like” She directed us to the Congress Street section of town where we found eclectic stores and restaurants and a whole array of Food Trucks, for which the area has become famous.

As we walked the streets we passed a book store. In the window was a large format photo book called Vietnam in Flames.    

What immediately caught my eye was that it was by two Vietnamese authors. I thought that it might have an interesting perspective.

 I went in and pulled it out of the window and began paging through it. It turns out that the authors were actually photographers and it was filled with photos of the war. Then I noticed a note on the first page inside. Handwritten was “Inscribed by the Prime Minister to the National Security Advisor.”  I paged over to find a hand written inscription that began with “To my  friend Walt W. Rostow…”  Well, I know who Rostow is; A speech writer to Eisenhower, and NSA to both Kennedy and Johnson. He was a war hawk and was instrumental in the increasing American involvement in Vietnam. I found all this interesting, but I had seen the price being asked and put the book back in the window.

We left the store and as we got a few yards away, I turned to my wife and said, “No, I need to go back and look at that some more.”  So we returned.

I, once again, removed the book from the window. On the first visit, I had not even finished reading the inscription because I had no knowledge of the Prime Minister of Vietnam. Didn’t even know they had a Prime Minister, I figured it was just some ceremonial position. Well, I looked again and the inscription continued and was signed by; Nguyen Cao Ky! Yes, that Ky!

Ky's note and signature

I was stunned. I went to the counter and told the owner that Ky was not the Prime Minister, but, in fact, then first elected Vice President of Vietnam. (Later research confirmed that he was Prime Minister before the elections) He and General Thieu were elected in the first ”Free elections” in the country. Their validity and “Free”ness can be debated at another time. So, I was in a little bit of shock. I was holding in my hands a book signed by Nguyen Cao Ky! I was in 'Nam during the elections and his name was heard every day.

For those who may not know, Ky was one of those larger than life figures. He was a fighter pilot in the Vietnamese Air Force, and a General. He was young, handsome, and flamboyant. He was usually seen in a leather pilot’s jacket, shades, and a long white scare around his neck. Very Cary Grant!  He was immensely popular with the people and my guess is that is why Thieu hated him so much. That aside, they were elected to govern The Republic.

The inscription is dated November 28, 1970 and a Vietnamese Christmas card was tucked inside, too. I had sent a few of these home, so it was a little unnerving to see one again.

The owner of the book store told me that she had handled the estate of Mr. Rostow. It seems his son is not particularly proud of his father’s role in the escalation of the war and just wanted all of this stuff gone. I told her my story and eventually said, "What do I have to do to get this book? I can’t possibly afford the price you are asking." She said, “It seems to me that you are the guy that SHOULD have this book, let’s see what we can work out.” We worked it out and I became the owner.

When we got outside, I turned to my wife and said, "You were right. This is why we didn't get to go to Houston!" Words I never expected to hear from my mouth, but there you go!

Once it arrived home, I had the opportunity to sit and actually read the text. There is not too much, it is primarily a book of photographs. The text that is there, however, is somewhat heart wrenching.

The book was written in 1969, as a propaganda piece, in an effort to boost flagging support for the war effort. It speaks in glowing terms of the bravery and mission of the Vietnamese forces and how they are driving the enemy in to the sea. Allied forces are not mentioned and the U.S. is mentioned only in one sentence. Interesting!

The book is abounding in hope. They still think they can win! For that matter, so did we! It is incredibly sad to read these words knowing what happened and how it all turned out!

Photo from the book; the universal portrait of a soldier reading mail from home.

So, back to my original thought. 

No matter what you think about the war, those who created it, or those who fought it, at some level it was an effort to afford to those who did not have them, the freedom, self-determination, and human rights we so regularly take for granted.

So, as you celebrate this July 4^th, set down your beer and hot dog just long enough to remember all of those who made this day, this country, this Nation possible and who continue to work for its betterment and those who keep us safe.

Here are a few additional shots I merely photographed from the book.

A nun attending an injured child, the most innocent victims of war

This unidentified destruction makes me think of pictures of Hiroshima.

The regular posts, continuing from Utah, will pick up again at 9:00am on the 9th of July. Until then enjoy the holiday and see you on the 9th.

Utah IV

This Dough Boy from WWI stands guard over all those who have joined him over the years in the Price, Utah Peace Garden. Located at 100 E. Main Street the Carbon County Memorial honors those from many wars.

The plaque on one side of the statue names those from WWI through Vietnam who were lost.

One the other side, five more of our brothers are honored, also.

On the way out of town I stopped for gas and met these guys. The human part of the duo told me he is a 'Nam vet from Pennsylvania! They had been traveling the country together for quite some time and if I remember correctly they were on their way to South Dakota. Quite a journey!

Next time, we will visit the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City. Here, another example of a memorial built by the Vietnamese community to thank us for our efforts in their country. Join me on the 6th, as ever,at 9:00am to pay tribute to these who are lost.

Utah III

This unusually shaped memorial is in Kearns, Utah. When I saw it, it stood in the corner of a Big Lots parking lot. A little odd I thought at the time, but it was at a fairly busy intersection so I figured that must have something to do with its placement.

Well, as luck would have it the road needed to be widened so the memorial has been moved. I have read that it has been refurbished and now sits across the street from a Kearns High School at the new Veterans Memorial Park at the local recreation center. The exact address is 5670 S. Cougar Lane (4800 West).

The original site, which reportedly was the site of the entrance to the now defunct Army base, Camp Kearns, which was closed in 1946, measured 20 by 20 and also housed a WW1 canon and some flag poles. All of these have been moved to the new site.

I have been unable to find any additional information about this site. As always, if you know something, I would love to hear about it. You can contact me at; 50statememorials@gmail.com.

Next time, on July 1st we will travel on to Carbon, Utah, so join me there as always at 9:00am

Utah II

Just beyond a wind farm, I ran across this small, yet inclusive, memorial in Mapleton, Utah. It speaks eloquently to the sacrifice of so many throughout our history. Many are remembered here and I noticed something new on the memorial to our brothers and sisters in 'Nam. Each of their deaths is recounted with some detail. I found that I felt somewhat closer to each of these because I knew a little more about them. The memorial in Anchorage, Alaska says, "He was more than just a name on the Wall" and I have always liked the sentiment and found it greatly reinforced at this site in Utah.

I was, once again, impressed by what small towns do for their own. Mapleton lost a total of four of her own in 'Nam and they built this elegant marker to honor them. On the back of this marker, they honor all who served in the war.

The site sits at the intersection of Maple street and Main street in a lovely park area.

On the 26th of June, we will visit Kearns, Utah and see a memorial that is a little bit unusual. Join me there at 9:00am.

Utah

Utah, like all states I suppose, had people who backed or protested the war in Vietnam. These numbers like everywhere else ebbed and flowed with the news or politics of any particular day. It is interesting that on May 8, 1954, the Salt Lake City Tribune wrote a prophetic piece regarding the French failure at Dien Bien Phu. A French Cafe owner was quoted; "...they let our best soldiers get killed... (it was) not worth it!"

 

Utah contributed heavily to the war effort. 8.6% of her eligible citizens served making Utah the 5th most represented state. The national average was 6.9%. So, Utahans participated at a 25% higher rate than most and were behind only Alaska, Hawai'i, Washington, and Nevada. This is even more unusual because members of the LDS could get deferments for their missionary work, Utah had the highest college attendance rate in the country, and men tend to marry earlier in Utah than in other states. You may recall that married men were often not taken for service as readily as guys who were not married.

Like everyone else Utah eventually came to grips with the war and its aftermath and to welcome her sons and daughters home a beautiful memorial was built.

Honored here are the 388 men and one woman killed or who are still MIA.

The solder returning from some unnamed battle is carrying his buddy's rifle. He is surrounded by a curved, gray granite wall bearing, forever, the names of all the lost.

In 2012, Jan Scruggs asked the LDS to assist in gathering the pictures of all the lost men and women to be added to the new Education Center at The Wall. While many have been found, many more are still unavailable and it is hoped that the LDS will be able to contribute to the effort of honoring every name on The Wall. If you have pictures of any lost Vietnam vets, please contact contact the center here;

http://www.vvmf.org/how-to-submit

Otto Von Bismark's 1860's statement seems as prophetic now, as then.

Next time we will visit a small memorial in a park in Mapleton, Utah. Join me, as always, on the 21st, at 9:00am.

*Update, June 10,2026, I have no memory of where I learned that one of the lost from Utah was a women. In doing research for my 10th post from Utah, I have learned that this appears to be untrue. 

My apologies.

Ireland update

Irish Shield

Before we go to Utah, new information has come my way and I think many will find it interesting.

I have written, previously, about the Irish citizens who fought beside us, and died, in Vietnam. The number at the time it was first discovered to be true was 16 and their families were honored when the Traveling Wall visited Ireland. Since then the number has changed; to 19, then 22 and now 29. Not all of these were with U.S. Forces, some were Air America, the Canadian Military, the Australians, and AID. A total of 2500 Irish citizens participated in our efforts to aid the Vietnamese people.

There is a memorial, which I have posted elsewhere on this site, in Kilarney, at Adair Manor. This memorial, however, is not specifically to Irish Vietnam Veterans. All of that is about to change!

A new memorial honoring the 29 Irish citizens lost in the war has been approved to be built in Ennis, in County Clare. This is especially interesting and meaningful to me as my ancestors are from County Clare.

Currently in the design and fund raising stage, the memorial is a ways off and today I spoke with one of the organizers and they are hoping for 2014 completion and dedication.

If you are interested in learning more about this wonderful project, please go here;

 http://www.theirishvietnamveteransmemorialproject.org/index.html

On these pages you will see a tab called The 29 and if you click an individual name a short bio will appear.


If you would like to read more about the existing memorial at Adair, click on Colorado, at the left of this page. When it opens scroll back to the second or third post from Colorado to read more about it.

I encourage anyone who is interested to support this project, as I have, by sending a check to

http://www.ivnvmp.org

OR To;    The Irish Vietnam Veterans Memorial Project
                P.O. box 90592
                Alexandria, Virginia 22309

We will go to Utah, as previously promised, on the 16th at 9:00am.

UPDATE  Just today I got an email from Declan Hughes who founded Irish Veterans. He and his organization feel that this project is untimely, unnecessary and wrongly uses information taken from their site. I currently have no opinion about this as I do not yet know enough to decide. You may want to check out Irish Veterans at, Irishveteransmemorialproject.com for more information about this issue.

Nebraska V

The final stop in Nebraska will, again, be in Omaha. Memorial Park was dedicated by President Truman in 1948 and has continued to grow since that time. In 1959, rose gardens, containing more than 100 bushes,  were added to the '67 acre site and in 1968 a pedestrian foot bridge was added.

The park was the scene of a number of anti-Vietnam rallies and demonstrations during the 60's and 70's.

The above plaque fronts the statue and speaks to Korea and Vietnam's lost. the one below is on the side of the statue. Note the dates on the top one and the added names upon the second one.

Sitting on a high hill, over looking the city, the park honors all who have served but Vietnam has several components here. First, the POW/MIA Flag. I know this has been become a more general acknowledgement of those who were POW/MIA from any war. But, it will always mean 'Nam to me. As I have written on other posts, it was designed originally for those in 'Nam and will remain so for me.

I couldn't find exact information about the statue but it seems to be a soldier holding a small emaciated boy. the boy is holding the soldiers canteen. I expect that this may be a WWII statue as the large Wall behind the statue is dedicated to and lists the names of the lost from WWII, but as I have no definitive information (and could not find any on line) this may not be the case. Also, two of the plaques, as mentioned above, refer to Korea and Vietnam.

Next time, we move on to Utah. So, join me in Salt Lake City on the 11th as always at 9:00am.