Fallen soldiers found, honored on 'Wall of Faces'

  • Robert Alverson Jr., 21, of Vidor, died Oct. 2, 1970
    Robert Alverson Jr., 21, of Vidor, died Oct. 2, 1970
  • Jesse Ayres, 18, of Silsbee, died June 16, 1968
    Jesse Ayres, 18, of Silsbee, died June 16, 1968
  • David Azore, 24, of Beaumont, died May 6, 1968
    David Azore, 24, of Beaumont, died May 6, 1968
  • John Becker, 18, of Beaumont, died June 18, 1969
    John Becker, 18, of Beaumont, died June 18, 1969
  • Ronald Churan, 21, of Port Neches, died Aug. 30, 1969
    Ronald Churan, 21, of Port Neches, died Aug. 30, 1969
  • Carl Crone, 21, of Orange, died Sept. 12, 1968
    Carl Crone, 21, of Orange, died Sept. 12, 1968
  • Freddie Dacus, 25, of Beaumont, died Nov. 11, 1970
    Freddie Dacus, 25, of Beaumont, died Nov. 11, 1970
  • Clifford Haley, 20, of Beaumont, died March 3, 1970
    Clifford Haley, 20, of Beaumont, died March 3, 1970
  • Rodger Hebert, 21, of Port Arthur, died June 15, 1968
    Rodger Hebert, 21, of Port Arthur, died June 15, 1968
  • Theodore Hollis, 19, of Silsbee, died May 21, 1968
    Theodore Hollis, 19, of Silsbee, died May 21, 1968
  • Toby Jackson, 19, of China, died July 12, 1969
    Toby Jackson, 19, of China, died July 12, 1969
  • Cleveland Keal Jr., 20, of Port Arthur, died Nov. 19, 1967
    Cleveland Keal Jr., 20, of Port Arthur, died Nov. 19, 1967
  • Eddie Lancaster, 19, of Silsbee, died Dec. 19, 1967
    Eddie Lancaster, 19, of Silsbee, died Dec. 19, 1967
  • Don Minton, 20, of Vidor, died May 4, 1967
    Don Minton, 20, of Vidor, died May 4, 1967
  • John Moore Jr., 21, of Beaumont, died May 11, 1968
    John Moore Jr., 21, of Beaumont, died May 11, 1968
  • William Mouton, 20, of Groves, died April 17, 1968
    William Mouton, 20, of Groves, died April 17, 1968
  • William Overstreet, 21, of Kountze, died March 19, 1969
    William Overstreet, 21, of Kountze, died March 19, 1969
  • Donald Sweat, 27, of Vidor, died May 4, 1968
    Donald Sweat, 27, of Vidor, died May 4, 1968
  • Darrell Trumble, 21, of Vidor, died Aug. 13, 1968
    Darrell Trumble, 21, of Vidor, died Aug. 13, 1968
  • Michael Webster, 23, of Beaumont, died Feb. 2, 1968
    Michael Webster, 23, of Beaumont, died Feb. 2, 1968
  • Lawrence Williams Jr., 24, of Port Arthur, died Sept. 18, 1970
    Lawrence Williams Jr., 24, of Port Arthur, died Sept. 18, 1970
  • Daniel Winters, 19, of Bridge City, died Oct. 8, 1968
    Daniel Winters, 19, of Bridge City, died Oct. 8, 1968

After more than two decades of searching for a commemorative photo of each American soldier who died in the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) announced in August the location of the 58,281st, and final, photograph.

Honored digitally on “The Wall of Faces” found on VVMF.org, the faces of all 58,281 Americans who died during the war can be found thanks to an endeavor that began in 2001. That fall, VVMF began a short-term effort to collect photos of those on The Wall in Washington D.C., initiating a more concerted effort eight years later. Since then, hundreds of volunteers and family members have submitted photos for the effort. Volunteers tracked down photos in many different ways.

“When VVMF began this effort, the goal was to put a face with a name for each of the 58,281 service members whose names are inscribed on The Wall,” Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF, told the National Newspaper Association Foundation. “To ensure that visitors to The Wall understand that behind each name is a face –  a person with a story of a family and friends who were forever changed by their loss. Today, the Wall of Faces tells these stories through photos and remembrances left by both friends and family members. We couldn’t have done this without the tenacious work of a small army of volunteers across the country. Their ingenuity, commitment and dedication are tremendous.

“This phase is now complete, but our team and many volunteers are continuing to seek better-quality photos and adding remembrances to show the full story behind each name,” Knotts continued. “We ask the public to look at the photos on the Wall of Faces and add additional higher-quality images, as well as leave remembrances so that with the name, the photos and the remembrances, fuller stories will begin to emerge about each of these heroes.”

Honoring the homecomers

Even after the war ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans suffered due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD and other illnesses as a direct result of their service. VVMF’s “In Memory” program is dedicated to those who made it home from the war, but suffered – sometimes fatal – consequences of their service.

“VVMF believes all those who served in Vietnam should be honored and remembered for their service,” the group reports. “The ‘In Memory’ program enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized.

“The plaque on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in Washington, D.C. that honors these veterans was dedicated in 2004 and reads:  ‘In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.”’

A group called Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial actually created the program in 1993 before VVMF began managing it and hosting the ceremony in 1999. More than 5,600 veterans have been added to the In Memory honor roll since the program began, and VVMF welcomes any submissions through its website.

“If you have a picture of a loved one or fellow veteran whose name is on The Wall, please help VVMF honor these individuals by putting a face with a name,” VVMF says. “Regardless of whether or not VVMF has a photo of the individual already, we encourage you to submit it anyway. We are trying to collect as many photos of each individual as
possible.”

 

Tags
Fallen soldiers
Vietnam soldiers
veterans
Remembrance