I am a Vietnam Vet and love President Reagan's
words on this video ... Thank you Mr. President!
Below is what I posted two Memorial Days ago.
Bill's name is on this wall, so these two tie
together well.
****************************************
"A Personal Dedication This Day"
****************************************
"A Personal Dedication This Day"
Growing, I had a best friend who's life was cut short
while serving in Vietnam. Today, Woodsterman,
dedicates this page to him. From age 11 to the time
Vietnam separated us, you never saw one of us
without the other.
At the time of his death, I was in advanced training
at Fort Ord, California. My sister called to inform me
of his death and passed on a request from his parents
that I be a pallbearer at his funeral. I did so proudly
in uniform.
During my own time in Vietnam, there was not a day
I didn't think of him. We also had some wild
conversations during that year.
Below is his information obtained from the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Wall - Virtual Wall. This site is
dedicated to the Memorial in Washington DC. You
can visit this site if you are unable to go the real one in person.
Click the photos to enlarge.
Click the photos to enlarge.
Above are photos I made of Bill's Page at
the Virtual Wall. If you want to see the real
thing and can't make it to Washington, this
is a must see. Below is a link to the Virtual
Wall and one to Bill's Page.
God Bless you Odie, for this heartfelt post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your service, and for remembering your brave friend. You, above all of us, know the
sacrifices our brave warriors gave so we might enjoy life here in America.
Happy Memorial Day!
God bless all of those who served(you too Odie!), Bunni is right, its a great tribute to your friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bunni, we were all glad to serve for you at home.
ReplyDeleteThanks Randy, Bill was special.
ReplyDeleteOdie,
ReplyDeleteYou made me cry.
Maybe I'm crying a little more easily now as one of my best blogging friends passed away on Friday. I'll post my tribute tomorrow.
--------------------
Your friend was a fine looking young man -- and only 22 when he died.
Thank you for your service, Odie, and for coming home!
This summer, I plan to take Mr. AOW to the Vietnam War Memorial. We visited there once -- on a Gathering of Eagles day -- but didn't spend enough time at the wall itself.
ReplyDeleteThank you and God Bless you Odie, for your service to our country. And God Bless your friend, Bill, who made the ultimate sacrifice. Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteYour friend is almost exactly one year younger than me. That always puts things in perspective for me. He should be here blogging away with us. Sad.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you, Odie and thank you for your service. I remember well how Viet vets were treated and found it so upsetting.
I honor all my Brothers and Sisters who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country -- from the Revolutionary Days to this day.
ReplyDeleteThe United States Navy Corpsmen (the "Docs" who tended to us and ultimately died with us and FOR us) will always hold a special place in my heart.
Not to be "preachy," but let's remember that Memorial Day is meant to be a tribute to the Veterans who gave their lives defending our freedom and our way of life. We have other days set aside for honoring our Veterans in other ways.
It's not, "Happy Memorial Day" -- there's nothing happy about it.
A "Memorial Day Sale" pisses me off. Make your money just about any way you can -- but NOT off the blood of those who died in combat defending you and your right to make that money.
Okay... I'm off my soapbox.
Rest in Peace, my Brothers and Sisters. Your duty and you saw it. God bless each and every one of you.
AOW, thank you for being here when we got home. I wanted to put a face on this holiday.
ReplyDeleteAOW, do me a big favor. Would you please say "Hello" to Bill for me while you're there. I haven't had the pleasure.
ReplyDeleteLady, thank you. People like you made it an honor, and others did not.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne, You made it an honor to serve.
ReplyDeleteMarine4ever, that's why Bill is here.
ReplyDeleteA very moving post. I bet these are some bittersweet memories.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your service.
Admiral, yes they are, and I thank you.
ReplyDeleteThough I'm of the age that I could have gone to Viet Nam, I was spared... Thank you for your service and this incredible post...
ReplyDeleteP, thanks for stopping by. I was an honor!
ReplyDeleteHumbled.
ReplyDeleteamanofwonder, This is the day for that.
ReplyDeleteThat if one fine tribute to a fallen soldier and friend Odie. I had two uncle's who were Navy Corpsman attached to the Fleet Marine Force in the Pacific in WWII one I know was on Iwo. Maybe your father and he crossed paths.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful tribute, Odie.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your service.
There are so many heroes, and it is so easy for this country to forget how much we owe our warriors.
I lost a couple, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this.
I was blessed enough to see the Trvelling Wall in Ohio... Even at about 1/3 scale it was humbling and breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteI was also blessed enough to see the oil bubbling up at the site of the Arizona. It was sacred and amazing, as well. We can never repay the debt we owe those brave men and women who gave all.
Great post, Odie.
ReplyDeleteRon, you never know.
ReplyDeleteRightly, we owe the ones who died everything.
ReplyDeleteEdutcher, I wanted to put a face on one name on that wall.
ReplyDeleteBrooke, I just missed it when it came to Reno.
ReplyDeleteThanks Opie.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Odie. What a fine tribute this is to your friend.
ReplyDeleteI loved Ronald too.
Have a terrific day. :)
Sandee, thank you for letting me share it with you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Odie, both for your service and for letting us know a little bit about Bill. God bless you both!
ReplyDeleteVelcro, glad to share our story.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a great time celebrating on Memorial Day, Odie. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we have freedom. God Bless our veterans.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, we owe them this country.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the nice words, Odie.
ReplyDeleteLady, thank you for being here when "we" got home.
ReplyDelete