Off Topic but ....

[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

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.