[Zorro]

"From August 5, 1964 through March 28, 1973, many of you, our Veteran brothers and sisters were among the 8,744,000 active duty U.S. military personnel who proudly served our Nation during the war in Vietnam, with 2,594,000 of you serving within the borders of South Vietnam, some deployed as early as 1954 and leaving as late as 1975. The Vietnam Era also includes all Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam as early as February 28, 1961."

November 13, 1982 -
Dedication

Vietnam MemorialThe Vietnam Veteran Memorial was declared a National Memorial and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1982 in Washington D.C. On this day, thousands of Vietnam Veterans marched to the wall for the dedication during a week long salute to all Vietnam Veterans.

The Memorial honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were Missing In Action during the War.

"The memorial currently consists of three separate parts: the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the Three Soldiers statue, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial. Constitution Gardens, the main part of the memorial was completed in 1982 and is adjacent to the National Mall. The memorial is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service, and receives around 3 million visitors each year. The Memorial Wall was designed by American architect Maya Lin. The typesetting of the original 58,195 names on the wall was performed by Datalantic in Atlanta, Georgia."


-On July 1, 1980 – Congress authorizes 3 acres near the Lincoln Memorial to be the site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The memorial is to be managed by the National Park Service under its National Mall and Memorial Parks group.

-On November 13, 1982 – Thousands of Vietnam Veterans march to Washington, D.C. for the Memorial dedication.

Inscribed on the walls with the Optima typeface are the names of servicemen who were either confirmed to be KIA (Killed in Action) or remained classified as MIA (Missing in Action) when the walls were constructed in 1982. They are listed in chronological order, starting at the apex on panel 1E in 1959 (although it was later discovered that the first casualties were military advisers who were killed by artillery fire in 1957), moving day by day to the end of the eastern wall at panel 70E, which ends on May 25, 1968, starting again at panel 70W at the end of the western wall which completes the list for May 25, 1968, and returning to the apex at panel 1W in 1975. Symbolically, this is described as a "wound that is closed and healing." The wall listed 58,191 names when it was completed in 1983; as of May 2011, there are 58,272 names, including 8 women.*

The Three Soldiers

"3-Brothers Memorial In 1984, the bronze Three Soldiers Statue was unveiled, created by Frederick Hart. The statue depicts the 3 Vietnam service brothers looking on in tribute at the names of their fallen comrades."

"Thank you for your service to our country. May your week be filled with pride, honor, remembrance and tradition."

I copied and pasted the above from the "vetfriends.com email I received today.

Over the years I have lost many of my Vietnam Veterans friends through Agent Orange, Suicide and other ways.

These guys were from all branches of the military and our common bond was Vietnam.

When I went to Vietnam I had just turned 21 and due to my draft number being low I joined the Navy instead of being drafted.

My time in the Navy was fun, depressing, sad and excited all at the same time.

On the www.navynucweps.com page there are pictures, patches and other memorabilia of the ships and the sailors who were aboard them.

There is a memorial page and each time I view it I see more names of the officers and enlisted who I had served with.

Check it out and you will actually see a picture of me on the USS Midway 1972 page.

I changed the picture to a bigger one that shows more detail.

[solvegas]

I first visited the memorial in 1986 when I was on three month temporary duty assignment in Norfolk Naval station area getting some schooling. I drove to D.C. to see the sights and I saw the memorial. I joined in September of 1975 a couple of months after the fall of South Vietnam so I never served in that country. Seeing the memorial the first time brought out several emotions out which were / are difficult to explain. I could never feel the way of those who served in country but I did feel empathy for the many mixed emotions of those I served with who had served there. The main thing I remember was a sense of betrayal which many who served there felt. The second time I saw the memorial was in 1999 and wounds were healing. The memorial itself is by its simplicity very powerful. The etched names brings a sense of the enormity of what happened. Maya Ling did a great job. 

[Cutter]

My Father, Mother and I went to DC for my highschool graduation in 1986. We went to The Wall during the day and at night, the feeling at that time for me was that it was a very oppressing place, during the day and at night there was almost no sound.  No birds were to be heard and even the visitors were very quiet.

My Father went to see his friends on the wall, my Mother still wears the metal MIA Wristband of a man she knew in her youth that went and never came back.

I went on my own to DC a few other times in more recent years.  My visit to The Wall on those trips had a different feeling, the opressivness that I felt the first time is gone, however I do not feel that kids should be running aroung it.

I do not know what my feeling to it will be when I go back to it ( eventually I will ), My Father died last year age 77 due to lung cancer.  I may not be able to handle a visit to it.

[pedonbio]

Maya Ling did a great job. 

I agree, sol. Her design was genius. A lot of local war memorials had included name lists, but her design was the first one to list all the names.

[Zorro]

This Memorial Day I want to take time to reflect on those people I served with not only from my first ship on the WestPac cruise 1972-73, but from everywhere I was stationed.

GMTCS Dan Joyce, GMTCS Ray Steele, GMT3 Bruce Walters and CWO3 Jerry Gillium.

I obtained these names from the memorial page on the navnucweps website.

Bruce Walters was a GMT2 when I first met him and he was always asking for a cigarette as he never seemed to have any. During these years I was a heavy smoker and I always gave him not only a cigarette, but occasionally a pack and one time I gave him a carton. It sounds like a lot with today's prices, but in the early 70's cigarettes were only a quarter a pack. He and I weren't close, but he was always in a good humor and a nice guy to work for.

Dan Joyce was also aboard the Midway, but he worked in another area in my division and I met him again when I went to Kirkland Air Force base for 3 weeks of nuclear emergency team training. Regretfully Dan was overwhelmed with alcohol and this is probably what led to his demise.

Ray Steele was my leading CPO on the USS Constellation and a lot of fun to hang around especially on liberty in the Philippines.

Finally we come to Jerry Gillium. Those navy warrant officers who were AO's or GMG-GMT's were known as "Gunner" when they were promoted to WO. I only served with him for a short time on the Midway, but I met him again at the Navy Nuclear Weapons Training Group Pacific (NWTGP) when the Coral Sea was having our NWAI (Nuclear Weapons Acceptance Inspection).

I have met and served with many other sailors both enlisted and officers, but these guys are the ones that I know of who have died.

Fair winds and following seas my shipmates.