Monday, May 28, 2012

In Memoriam

Since I've known of it's existence, I spend time on Memorial Day at the Virtual Wall remembering those I knew. They are gone, but never forgotten.


Martin James De Himer
Specialist Four
PERSONAL DATA
  Home of Record:  Rome, NY
  Date of birth:   01/31/1949


MILITARY DATA
  Service:         Army of the United States
  Grade at loss:   E4
  Rank:            Specialist Four
  ID No:           087425521
  MOS:             11B20: Infantryman
  Length Service:  01
  Unit:            C CO, 2ND BN, 7TH CAVALRY, 1ST CAV DIV, USARV

CASUALTY DATA
  Start Tour:      07/17/1969
  Casualty Date:   03/11/1970
  Age at Loss:     21 (based on date declared dead)
  Location:        Binh Long Province, South Vietnam
  Remains:         Body recovered
  Casualty Type:   Hostile, died of wounds
  Casualty Reason: Ground casualty
  Casualty Detail: Multiple fragmentation wounds

URL: www.VirtualWall.org/dd/DehimerMJ01a.htm

ON THE WALL        Panel 13W Line 111

Bradford Thomas Griffin
Lance Corporal

PERSONAL DATA
  Home of Record: Rome, New York
  Date of birth:  Monday, 08/09/1948

MILITARY DATA
  Service:        Marine Corps (Regular)
  Grade at loss:  E3
  Rank:           Lance Corporal
  ID No:          2171676  
  MOS:            0341 Mortarman
  LenSvc:         Between 2 and 3 years
  Unit:           G CO, 2ND BN, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV

CASUALTY DATA
  Start Tour:     Not recorded
  Cas Date:       Tuesday, 09/12/1967
  Age at Loss:    19
  Remains:        Body recovered
  Location:       Quang Tri, South Vietnam
  Type:           Hostile, died outright
  Reason:         Artillery, rocket, or mortar - Ground casualty

ON THE WALL       Panel 26E Line 062

Robert Edward Hendrix
Specialist Four

PERSONAL DATA
  Home of Record:  Rome, NY
  Date of birth:   07/26/1947

MILITARY DATA
  Service:         Army of the United States
  Grade at loss:   E4
  Rank:            Specialist Four
  ID No:           52968259 
  MOS:             11B20: Infantryman
  Length Service:  01
  Unit:            D CO, 3RD BN, 12TH INFANTRY, 4TH INF DIV, USARV

CASUALTY DATA
  Start Tour:      05/25/1968
  Incident Date:   01/31/1969
  Casualty Date:   01/31/1969
  Age at Loss:     21
  Location:        Kontum Province, South Vietnam
  Remains:         Body recovered
  Casualty Type:   Hostile, died outright
  Casualty Reason: Ground casualty
  Casualty Detail: Misadventure (Friendly Fire)

URL: www.VirtualWall.org/dh/HendrixRE01a.htm

ON THE WALL        Panel 33W Line 026

Martin Allen Mc Zeal
Specialist Four
PERSONAL DATA
  Home of Record:  Rome, NY
  Date of birth:   04/14/1948

MILITARY DATA
  Service:         Army of the United States
  Grade at loss:   E4
  Rank:            Specialist Four
  ID No:           52920078 
  MOS:             11C20: Indirect Fire Infantryman
  Length Service:  00
  Unit:            D CO, 2ND BN, 5TH CAVALRY, 1ST CAV DIV, USARV

CASUALTY DATA
  Start Tour:      01/24/1969
  Incident Date:   06/18/1969
  Casualty Date:   06/18/1969
  Age at Loss:     21
  Location:        Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam
  Remains:         Body recovered
  Casualty Type:   Hostile, died outright
  Casualty Reason: Ground casualty
  Casualty Detail: Multiple fragmentation wounds

URL: www.VirtualWall.org/dm/MczealMA01a.htm

ON THE WALL        Panel 22W Line 081

Wyatt Stephen Thomas
Private First Class
PERSONAL DATA
  Home of Record:  Rome, NY
  Date of birth:   02/11/1948

MILITARY DATA
  Service:         Army of the United States
  Grade at loss:   E3
  Rank:            Private First Class
  ID No:           52968672 
  MOS:             05C20: Radio Teletype Operator
  Length Service:  00
  Unit:            HHC, 1ST BDE, 9TH INF DIV, USARV

CASUALTY DATA
  Start Tour:      10/19/1968
  Incident Date:   11/12/1968
  Casualty Date:   11/12/1968
  Age at Loss:     20
  Location:        Long An Province, South Vietnam
  Remains:         Body recovered
  Casualty Type:   Non-hostile, died of other causes
  Casualty Reason: Ground casualty
  Casualty Detail: Vehicle loss or crash

URL: www.VirtualWall.org/dt/ThomasWS01a.htm

ON THE WALL        Panel 39W Line 057




10 comments:

  1. Sherry - great tribute.

    Used to wonder why you never came over and joined Blogstream Reunited?

    Well.... it's not nothing like Blogstream and in fact I'm looking for a new home again. I like Blogger - so I might just stay here. A lot of good people (like yourself) here from Blogstream and some others.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ICE,

      Well, I didn't come to Blogstream Reunited because you really can't go home again. Time has this habit of changing things, and trying to recreate what was can't happen because of those changes. I decided I'd rather have the clean memories of what was rather than conflicted ones because of the recreation attempt.

      This memorial post is making me spend the day crying for those young boys that died. I didn't know you could access this info at the Virtual Wall until today. Which means I didn't know Bobby died from friendly fire. Somehow, even after all this time, it's harder to accept.

      Delete
    2. Sherry - I was within 50 miles of Washington D.C. and 'the wall' ....

      was planning (had looked forward to it) to go there....

      couldn't make myself go.....

      maybe someday..

      ice

      Delete
    3. ICE, I've seen the traveling wall. Smaller, and just as hard to look at.

      Delete
  2. I have seen both the big and the small wall and both times I walked away asking "why"? Let me suggest a fiction book (Amazon has it) - "Saigon". A great read where you see the war in Indochina from both sides of the war.

    58,282 names...


    Ron

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've only seen the traveling wall. Plus I do use the online Virtual wall. Did you know you could get all this info from the profiles on the Virtual Wall? Marty's family provided a picture of him for the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial, I didn't use it here because the rest of them didn't have pictures. All I have are the yearbooks which have their pics in them. Except for Bobby's. He didn't have one taken. His Mom couldn't afford it.

      Delete
  3. Too many vital young people have been killed or maimed in the conflicts since World War II, and for what?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For the rich to get richer essentially. It's a complex issue. When anyone says they died uselessly, I can't help but remember that they were willing to die for something they didn't understand, but believed would harm our way of life. All these young men enlisted. There are no draftees here. What they did counts for something to me. Although, I'd rather have them alive and whole with families of their own.

      Delete
  4. nam was a hell of an experience.

    seems like eeons ago

    seems like I was never there

    ice

    p.s. we should of never went - should of told the politicians to go

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My friend, we shouldn't have gone to Iraq, or Afghanistan either.

      Decades of families mourning their dead so the US can claim superior military might?

      Next war, let's send just the politicians, see how fast that idea flies.

      Delete