The Wall

[Artful]

The Wall
National Park Service - Introduction to the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial

http://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=F7122BC7-1DD8-B71C-07CC0CDC91E91CFA



A little history most people will never know.

Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010.

The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties.

The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth, Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965.

There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.

39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger.

8,283 were just 19 years old.

The largest age group: 33,103 were 18 years old.

12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.

5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.

One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.

997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam .

1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam .

31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.

Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.

54 soldiers attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia .

8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.

244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall.

Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.

West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.

The Marines of Morenci
- They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.

The Buddies of Midvale
– LeRoy, Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

The most casualty deaths for a single day was January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths.

The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred.

For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters.

There are no noble wars, just noble warriors. R.I.P. we miss you

[tryNto]

Thank you

[Bzcraig]

Thanks Art! During a visit to DC years ago, one entire day was spent at the war memorials and Arlington Cemetary. The most somber day of my life, I found myself often with tears trailing down my cheeks.

[w5pv]

All are heroes that I honor and respect.

[WRideout]

It may be that you have to have served in uniform to truly understand all this. May our brothers and sisters in arms rest in peace.

Wayne

[aspangler]

My Brother is on that wall. SSG Carl C. Spangler May 22,1966. Thanks Art.

[starreloader]

Been to the WALL, spent the time remembering the two that I went to school with, played ball with and even chased the same girls.. Teddy and Rich, I still remember you..

[Artful]

[white eagle]

god bless and thank you all vet's

[fatnhappy]

My cousin is on 33 West panel 4.
A 1/3 3rd division



Awarded posthumously for actions during the Vietnam War

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Lance Corporal Bernard G. Purvis (MCSN: 2391296), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Squad Leader with Company A, First Battalion, Third Marines, THIRD Marine Division in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 29 January 1969, Lance Corporal Purvis' squad was participating in a combat patrol near An Hoa in Quang Nam Province when the Marines came under a heavy volume of hostile fire delivered by a well-concealed enemy force. Reacting instantly, he skillfully deployed his men into effective fighting positions and unhesitatingly led an aggressive assault against the hostile unit. Completely disregarding his own safety, he repeatedly exposed himself to the intense enemy fire as he fearlessly moved about the hazardous area, shouting words of encouragement to his men and directing their accurate fire upon the hostile emplacements until he was mortally wounded. His outstanding leadership and aggressive fighting spirit inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in the subsequent defeat of the enemy. By his courage, bold initiative and unfaltering devotion to duty, Lance Corporal Purvis contributed significantly to the accomplishment of his unit's mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.

[madman]

Childhood friends are posted there. Don't know why I was never sent I volunteered but never got sent. Semper FI brothers till we meet again.

[Roosters]

Some of you guys might not have seen this .

The Virtual Wall--- Vietnam Veterans Memorial

http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm Click on a state and you get a list of towns with names from that town, click a name and you get the branch they served in and service medals, click full profile and you get where they are on the wall, military data, casualty data this usually tells where and how they died.

[Elkins45]

Somewhat off topic but strongly related: if you are ever in Central Kentucky you owe it to yourself to visit the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

From Wikipedia:
Located in Frankfort, Kentucky, overlooking the state capital, Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial contains the name of 1,103 Kentuckians killed in the Vietnam War. The memorial is in the form of a sundial with the names placed so that the tip of the gnomon's shadow touches each man's name on the date of his death, thus giving each fallen warrior his own personal memorial day.^[1]



The memorial was conceived to be a place of quiet meditation to contemplate the nature of the Vietnam War and also to be a place of ceremony to honor those lost in this conflict. The hours of the sundial represent the years of the war, thus each sector between the walkways includes one year of Kentucky losses. The length of the shadow of the gnomon varies with the date of the year, with the longest shadows at the Winter Solstice on December 21 and the shortest on June 21, the Summer Solstice. Each name on the plaza is placed on the sunline for the date of death between these extremes, The exact time of this anniversary is unique for each name, but does not vary from year to year.^[3]
The arrangement of names was intended to show the pattern of Kentucky casualties for the Vietnam War. The first two deaths occurred in 1962 and the last person was killed in 1975. The year of heaviest losses was 1968, which falls between Noon and 1:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time. The names of those missing in action or prisoners of war are located in front of the gnomon, where the shadow never falls.

[John Wayne]

EXTRAORDINARY human beings our veterans!

[Artful]

Elkins45, thanks for sharing - if I ever get over that way I will.

[pretzelxx]

I saw the wall when it was at the high-school I would go to.. I was maybe 5 or 6 at the time if I remember.. It was so long ago and I didn't really know what it was.. I wish I knew what it meant, more than just names of a war..

[Artful]

.. I wish I knew what it meant, more than just names of a war..

As most Memorials it means different things to different people.

Vietnam Tears

I stood and I watched as a mother cried,
when she had heard that her son had died.
He didn't die because he was sick,
or he didn't die because he was in a wreck.
He died doing what he felt was right.

I watched a father try to hold back his tears,
His son had lived only a scant 19 years.
His son had died nine thousand miles away,
And what was there left for a father to say?
He got down on his knees and said a prayer,
His brave son knows his father did care.

I stood and watched as a little girl cried.
She didn't understand why her brother had passed on;
Why he never again played with her on the lawn.
Looking at the little girl's tears I knew,
That her big brother died fighting for you and me.
~ Author Unknown ~

SOLDIER
By: Ed Coet, Major, USA-Retired

I saw a burial with a bugler playing taps;
I turned to my father, “what happened?” I asked.
He clutched my hand and with a quiver in his voice,
he began to explain and his eyes became moist.

“My son,” he said, “this is rather difficult for me;
for an old veteran like myself this is tough to see.
In that coffin lies a genuine patriotic warrior,
an honest-to-God hero, an American soldier.

I appreciate that soldier and the service he gave,
and I honor his sacrifice as he’s laid in his grave.
He was honorable, selfless, courageous, and bold;
please remember him son, as you grow old.

The value of his service, I must explain,
if not remembered, will be lost in vain.
As a nation we’re nothing without soldiers like him;
and failing to remember would be a terrible sin.”

I listened in awe as my father spoke,
it seemed as if his heart were broke.
I suddenly remembered when he went to war,
and when he returned I thought nothing more.

I never asked why he walked with a limp,
and I didn’t care about why he was sick.
I was to busy enjoying the life that I had,
to realize that I had it because of dad.

I finally understood what my dad was about,
and it hurt so bad I cried out loud.
He sacrificed so much so I could be free,
and his battle scares were suffered for me.

It was my father’s spirit that spoke to me that day;
thank God I finally understood what he had to say.
I saluted his coffin as they laid him to rest,
and I thought about the medals pinned on his chest.

That I didn’t honor him sooner, I will always regret;
and I pledged that day to never again forget.
I’m proud that my dad was a patriotic warrior;
I’m honored to be the son of an American soldier.

Our dead brothers still live for us and bid us think of life,
not death-of life to which in their youth
they lent the passion and joy of the spring.
As I listen, the great chorus of life and joy begins again
and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers
and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more.
a note of daring, hope and will.
I see them now, as once I saw them on this earth.
They are the same bright figures that come also before your eyes and when I speak of those who were my brothers,
the same words describe yours.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~

Posted on The Wall Site for Cpl Brent R Jones.

The Stranger

One lovely summer day
As I was walking through the grass
Reflecting on the very fondest
Memories of my past

I past an unfamiliar place
And stopped a while to see
Completely unsuspecting
Of the change this place would bring

I stood before a wall of names
Two hundred and fifty-one
Engraved upon a monument
That pierced the shining sun

And though, to all these names
I was a stranger passing by
I looked upon these names
And there was one that caught my eye

It may have been a moment
Or an hour, or a year
I walked up to the name
And leaned in close so I could hear

I closed my eyes and listened
To the pure and priceless truth
And came to understand the love
Of which, this wall is proof

It's said that he who bears
The very greatest love of all
Will sacrifice his life
Before He'll see a dear friend fall

Though people often wonder
Whether such a man is real
I see him now
Through these engraven letters that I feel

He's sitting with his brother
telling stories as they laugh
Of the greatest game's he'll ever pitch
Of the biggest fish he'll catch

He's standing by his colors
On a hillside far away
He's diving through the amber fire
While others run away

I search through all my memories
Of the noble and the grand
The courage and the truth
That I've been taught to understand

Of all the stories that are told
This shall be told of you
Dear Soldier, How you gave your life
For those you never knew.

This poem was written by Callie Crofts, Firth High School class of 2004.
Sunday, March 27, 2005

I AM YOUR WALL!

The Rods and Wire of Steel at my Core are
For those Who gave their Lives
Never to return in Body.
They are the strength of our Wall.

The Mass of Mortar of my Body
Is for the Mass of Men and Women
Who left their Families and
Dedicated their Courage and Time to a Cause.

The Medal of Honors and Navy Crosses on my Face
Are for the strength and Resolve
For which We stood.
I am your Wall and
I stand before three Boats
That represent all the Units of our Conflict -- all Conflicts.
I am your Wall,

Conceived and Nurtured and
Built with Loving Care and
Thought by a few for All.
I am your Wall,

Standing in Respectful Memory,
Hoping to have no others built like Me
But ready to Serve,
If ever called upon again.
I am your Wall,
Respect Me, Hold Me, Caress Me, Love Me,
As I Love You.

[DCP]

Robert Bruce Curran
Specialist Four

PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Aurora, Illinois
Date of birth: Wednesday, 08/16/1950

MILITARY DATA
Service: Army (Selective Service)
Grade at loss: E4
Rank: Specialist Four
ID No: 333444634
MOS: 11D20 Armor Reconnaissance Specialist
LenSvc: Not recorded
Unit: F TROOP, 17TH CAV RGT, 196 INF BDE

CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: Saturday, 09/12/1970
Cas Date: Thursday, 08/05/1971
Age at Loss: 20
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Quang Nam, South Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Gun, Small Arms Fire - Ground Casualty

ON THE WALL Panel 03W Line 123

You will never be forgotten
Miss you Bob



They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

[Artful]

We remember you still fella's - Memorial Day Toast to all of you.

[DCP]

To the top for all the Bobs