Off Topic but ....

[Robin Lewis]

I hope you don't mind, this isn't a Parker thread but I found it so nice I wanted to share it with anyone here that might be interested.

Someone spent a lot of time on this and it is truly remarkable; to all my fellow Vietnam Vets take a look.

Someone sent me the link below which is a virtual wall of all those lost during the Viet Nam war with the names, bio's and other information on our lost comrades. It is a very interesting link; those who served in that timeframe and lost friends or family can look them up on this site.

First click on a state......then when it opens .........a name.......then it should show you a picture of the person or at least his bio and medals......

http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates..htm (http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm)

[Dean Romig]

Wow...

I just looked up a few of my high-school buddies... wow

Thanks Robin

[Harry Collins]

I never stop wondering why I made it home and they didn't.....

[Dave Suponski]

By the grace of God... Harry

[Richard Flanders]

Incredible. I just looked up the two friends from my home town who are on the wall. Played football with both of them. Thank you for that post Robin.

[John Dallas]

I went throught OCS in 1967. Often wondered why I was sent to Korea instead of Viet Nam

[Dean Romig]

Harry, there is no answer to that question. Some guys are guilt-ridden for the rest of their lives - don't be one of those guys... there is no explanation - it's just the way the chips fell.
To those guys who didn't make the supreme sacrifice I have said it before... Maybe there is a reason you came home and maybe there isn't, but if there is a reason don't waste the gift - don't waste a minute of your life - honor their memory.

[Francis Morin]

Thank you Robin. Two of my best friends are remembered with their names on that black wall in D.C. The 1960's and the Vietnam War were a turbulent time for our Country. We can look back and possibly judge the mistakes that were made that caused those 58,323 names to have been put there, also the MIA and POW personnel that may never be accounted for.

Those names are honored whenever we stand for the Flag and remove our hats at a parade or do the same when the National Anthem is played or sung at a sports event or other public venue. We also honor them when we buy a VFW buddy poppy, fly the flag from our homes, and when we see a Veteran and not just on the 11th of November, thank him for his service to America.

Two songwriters of note came from the 1960's: Bob Dylan and Kris Krisstofferson, the later was a Ranger, the former, somehow managed not to have to serve. No matter now, but Bob Dylan wrote, in my opinion anyway, the best song that depicts the tragic events any war can cause- he entitled it "John Brown"-- Semper Fi!!

[George Lander]

Francis: Another songwriter that comes to mind is Pete Seeger who wrote "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" My two boys were both adopted through Catholic Charities. My oldest son, Billy, was able to find and meet his birth mother. The name of his birth father, Terry Lynn Anton, is on the Wall at Panel 17E Line 119. Terry was 19 when he lost his life in Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam. He had been "in country" for exactly three months. He was a PFC, C Company, 4th Batallion, 9th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, USARV. A "Manchu". Now we're buying cars and other knick knacks from the damned place. These boys (and a few girls) were the Best of the Best, gone to soldiers every one and now to graveyards every one. When will we ever learn?

Best Regards, George

[Francis Morin]

Possibly we all have a family member or close friend whose name is forever etched on the onyx Wall. Gone but never forgotten.

The late poet Joyce Kilmer wrote this during WW1: "In a wood they call the Rouge Bouquet, there is a new-made grave today, Built by never a spade or pick, Yet covered with earth ten meters thick. There lie many fighting men, dead in their youthful prime. Never to laugh or love again, Nor taste the summertime"--

Joyce Kilmer, famed for his poem circa 1912 "Trees", was reportedly shot by a German sniper on the morning of Armistice day, 1918. Communication was not effective back then, apparently the sniper was not yet informed, who can say, maybe he would have shot anyway.

There was a good sized contigent of lads from the Queen City that rode the trains in Northern Michigan for two months of YMCA camp. Each Sunday we had a non-denominational Church service at the small chapel by a point on the Northern arm of that vast lake. I remember yet today the sermon about the "Yellow Butterflies" and the Mother who lost her only unfound son in that "War To End All Wars"- when she was there in D.C. in 1921 when President Harding dedicated the Tomb Of The Unknowns, she saw some yellow butterflies flying near the monument.

[Bill Murphy]

Of course I looked up my home town to see if I missed anyone who didn't make it. I actually found one of my friends on the list whom I was not aware of. Interesting how much news from home you miss while you are "away". The best part of the link is using the alphabetical list to find out if the truly gung ho guys in my old units made it home. In my home town, at least three of my friends on the list could have been predicted to make the list even before they left town. I'm sure the three went down in flames. Thanks for the link.

[John Mazza]

Well said, Dean !

...well said !

[Bob Roberts]

Robin Lewis - Thank you for posting about this site which was previously unknown to me. I find myself typing this with sweaty fingers having just visited on it with several of the men who I had the honor and privilege to know and had under my command, but was not able to bring safely through that long ago war.

George Lander - When Terry Lynn Anton, the birth father of your oldest son, Billy, joined C Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry (Manchu) of the 25th (Tropic Lightning) Infantry Division, I was the mortar platoon leader of that unit. I do not recall if he was assigned to the mortars, but unless trained for mortars, I suspect not. A month or two after that date I took over as Company XO while the unit’s personnel were beginning to rotate out and a new Company Commander was taking charge. In fact nearly all of the original Manchus who came from Alaska and trained in Hawaii were rotating out during this period, and the Battalion was in the process of rebuilding at the time Billy’s father died. I finally left that place on May 23, 1967. Now, fortunately as I find with many when the subject comes up, several weeks may go by without thinking about Vietnam, but when it does, it is the men, not the place or circumstance, who come to mind. George, I’m sorry, but I cannot offer any specifics about Billy’s birth father; and I’m sorry we did not do a better job of getting him home.

John Dallas - I did not come from Alaska or train in Hawaii with the 4/9th Manchus. While they were doing that, I was serving in Korea as an rifle platoon leader and later as Battalion S-1 (Adjutant) with the 1/9th Manchus in the 2nd Inf. Div. For reasons not clear to this day, I volunteered for duty in the RVN and was reassigned there on May 24, 1966, curiously enough, again with the Manchus. The army graciously allowed me to remain in Korea to enjoy the thawing out of the honey pots and then sent me south so my date of rotation from RVN and date of separation from service would coincide. Don’t think you got away easy, there was a reason they designated Korea, and likely still do, a hardship tour...

Keep Up The Fire!

[George Lander]

Bob: Thank you for your letter. I have forwarded this entire thread to Billy. Terry was killed April 8, 1967, after exactly three months in country, in the Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam. He was 19 years old less that two months shy of his 20th birthday. He is buried in the National Cemetary at Florence, South Carolina. Billy has been to the Manchu's Reunion. Terry earned the C.I.B., Bronze Star, Purple Heart, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Vietnam Campaign Medal. Billy was born June 5th., 1966 and we adopted him one month later.

Best Regards, George

[Francis Morin]

I am glad to read that you adopted the little guy back in 1966- Father Flannigan, founder of Boy's Town said this about 1922- still rings true today: "No man stands taller than when he bends down to help a child"!!

[John Dallas]

Bob - I ended up as a Company Commander, and Ammunition depot commander outsdie of Pusan. We had it better than the guys up on the line. I was lucky enought to come home with all my body parts still connected, in spite of spending a bunch of time destroying hazardous, obsolete munitions. I don't begrudge time time in the service. I grew up a lot during those three years.