Virgil Loc: The Hoosier State

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Subject: The Wall (Vietnam)!!!!






The Wall

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 . I wonder why so many from one school.


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 on 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.


Please pass this on to those who served during this time, and those who DO Care.


I've also sent this to those I KNOW do care very much, and I thank you for caring as you do.

Pierre H.J. Dumais Loc: Mississippi Mills, Ont.

Thank you Virgil.

Pierre

LEGALDR Loc: Southern California

God bless all who served and all who continue to serve. Thank you for the posting.

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

Incredibly powerful. Thanks for posting.

Shakey Loc: Traveling again to Norway and other places.

Thanks for posting. So much sacrifice, so much pain, they gave everything for their country. They deserve to be honored.

macv dave

[quote=Virgil]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: The Wall (Vietnam)!!!!

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.

Thanks Virgil for this post. You're right about looking at the wall and experiencing the "feelings". I've been at the wall several times. One time I took a photo of one of the panels listing a name of an individual in my unit that did not make it back. When I transferred the picture to my computer, I realized my image was reflected in it as well. Took my breath away.
There's also a great Memorial in New Jersey. It has the names of those from NJ that did not make it back. It's impressive and next to the memorial is a Vietnam Memorial history museum (I believe that it's the only one of its kind in the US). Spent a good deal of time visiting this site. Very worthwhile seeing it. http://www.njvvmf.org

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

I first saw The Wall in 2003. As moving as it was, I was completely unprepared for the impact of the memorial to war nurses which is next to it. It literally took my breath away and moved me to tears. It never seems to get any attention, but it's an incredible homage to a forgotten group of warriors.

Frapha Loc: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Well said and thanks for posting .... lost/left some very close friends there.

Mike Padgett Loc: Arizona

Thanks for posting. A visit to The Wall is a powerful experience.

Fat Gregory Loc: Southern New Jersey

Thank you for posting. I will never forget my friends who gave everything and their families who lost so much.
Semper Fi

gasmandon Loc: Bentleyville, PA

Most don't remember, I do.

johnr9999 Loc: Carlton, OR

I've heard of the travelling Wall being in my area several times but I can't bear to go see it. When I was there in 1965 I trained myself as a Corpsman to not look at faces or learn their names; it distracted me from what I had to do and, some times, from the results of what I had done.
I can't help but wonder if the Marine son of the first man killed in 1956 who died in Sept 1965 was killed in Operation Starlite (spelling is correct), one of the battles I worked in.

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

And dont forget the ones that came home wounded. Im a vet of that forgottn war. I go to the veterans clintc in Allentown PA and I meet some really sad cases. Not too many of us left from the Korea war. Glad I was in the navy on a tin can and not on the ground.

RobertW Loc: Breezy Point, New York

Haven't printed many things from UHH....but read a lot---This I printed, had mounted in a frame and it's on the wall in our den next to a flag in a triangular case that flew over "The Pile" at the Trade Center and was saved by my son who is FDNY Chief, is going in turn to HIS son---Sgt USMC 1st Div- who is home after his 2nd tour in Afghanistan and in line for FDNY too....Great post!!!