Illinois

Rich Githens

He is my father

Army

1/12th Cav, 1st Cavalry Division

1967-68

Fort Leonard Wood/Fort Polk

Yes, I have been fortunate enough to visit many times

No

Yes, I am a proud member of SDIT

My dear SDIT sister Jeanette

The best memories I have of SDIT are of Jim Sampers introducing me to his Dad and asking me to do the same at Fathers Day 2000 and of course the SDIT Vietnam Trip 2003. What an amazing journey of peace healing and understanding. It was one I will never, ever forget!

There was a comment made on July 26th, I believe regarding my Dad's friendship with Chuck and how could he have been friends with him if he didn't mention him in his letters? I wanted to address this posting-I have known Chuck for 19 years and he has been an important part of my life for exactly that long. I was BLESSED to find him when I was 19, the same age Dad was when he was taken from me. He was one of the men who pulled Dad from the bunker where he was killed and helped load him into the helicopter. Before he did so, however, he baptized him. I know this, not only from his own words, but also from the words of Dad's 1st Sgt and from those of his platoon leader and LT. Chuck has accompanied me to Vietnam two times and there is no doubt I would never have found the healing in my life that I have without his love and kindness. He has filled in the so many of the gaps left behind by Dad's absence. There is NO DOUBT that he not only knew Dad but loved him as a brother. I thank God not only that I found him, but that Dad had such a man standing with him in life AND in death. I know there are many more Chucks out there. Our Dads were so very lucky to have them standing beside them, just as we are now today. Thank you Chuck and thank you SDIT, for helping me find the light at the end of MY tunnel.

NC

Ray T Martin

Ross E Mandeville

Brother an Friend

Army

Mac v 73rd Engr co ;cs]

65/70

yes

yes

no

links

miss my brother miss a friend

thanks

Texas

my father Bruce Alan Grandstaff

my father who was killed the day after I turned 8

ARMY

Fort Benning Georgia

yes

Waiting and waiting for my father to come home and be with me and my sister. Instead he was killed and will never come home. Now we are in another war and more children are losing thier fathers. Will the politicians never learn?

I miss you every day dad. I wish you were in my life. I wish I could hug you. I needed you and still need you. I hate that I will never see or touch you again. Or here your voice. War is a bad thing contrary to popular belief.

Texas

Donald W. Welch

Donald W. Welch

daughter

Army

7th Special Forces

68-69

yes/traveling wall also

no

will be soon

already knew about organization/searching for gold star daughters info

Even though we never knew each other, you're still my hero. It took me a long time to come to terms with our loss, but I'm proud of your service and strive to instill your morals and beliefs in your grandson.

Thank you so much for your organization. I remember when this first started all those years ago. I was awestruck there were others like me, struggling with the loss of a father, brother, uncle, etc. It's meant so much to me to have this organization around.

Georgia

withheld

in-law

Army

??

1965, etc

YES. Several times.

No

No

via "We were soldiers" web-site

The President stopped drafting the year I graduated high school - 1972. Before that we were scared. Even, after that we didn't know if it was "for real". We all had our "provisional" lottery numbers all the same as required by Selective Service.

THANK YOU! We STILL remember your service to our country, even after these 30 plus years; this is contrary to what so many even yet believe!

THANK YOU.

Ca

Mike Spear

My dad

army

4reg, 9th bat, 25th infantry manchus

68-69

Frt Ord Ca

teh traveling wall yes

no

no, but i will be

searching

my dad dosent talk much of vietnam..or of the events that took place over there. I do know it wasnt pretty, but it had to be done. Living with a combat vet hasnt always been easy, but the lessons and outlook I have on life are because of vietnam. i know my daddy went there a boy and came back a very diffrent man. To all of those who will never sit at their dads feet while he breaks down in tears as the memories flood his war torn mind, im sorry. but we mourn for your loss. More than you will ever know, for we are the survivors of this war. We are the ones who will retell the stories, or search desperatly for any shred of information about our fathers war. Its through this that they will never be forgotten....never. Thank you for your sacrafice, thank you for never letting the memory of vietnam fade......

arkansas

MSG Harold E Cumbie

Dad

Army

196th inf

1967

several times

Yes

I will be

at the wall

seems like i miss you more than ever now that i'm getting older
See u next father day at the wall

thanks SDIT

Texas(Dallas)

Sgt. Frank D. Bazell SSG. Austin B. Cook

ARMY

HHC RECON and Company E

66' & 67'

Fort Polk and Bragg

No

Yes

No

my son

Frank ,God I miss you and Cookie you were not my best friend you were my brother. I pray every nite for both of you. I wish it had been me instead of of both of you. Recon will forever be with me both physically and mentally. Remember going into base camps and not giving up our weapons and getting loaded and shooting up the tents,lol. And we were not allowed back on the base,lol. Recon ,we, sure as HELL did not need them anyways. Because we always got the crap jobs being a STRIKE unit. God those were the days.

Thanks for a place to talk.

Ontario, Canada

SP4 Joe B Ojeda

Fiance

Army

HHC 1st BN 5th INF 25th INF Division

1969

Ft Hood and Ft Polk

Yes

no

no

My good friend Lil Abrams from Toronto, ON told me about SDIT

Never forgotten. Always loved.

SDIT is a wonderful organization for those who lost a parent in Vietnam, or even today in Iraq and Afghanistan

pa

Robert Albert Resnick

Robert Albert Resnick

sister

USMC

Third Battalion,Fourth Marines

1968

Parris Island

yes

no

no

link

Bobby, we will ALWAYS remember

Florida

Chaplain William Cappadonno-Friend-Medal Of Honor Recepient

Chaplain Cappadonno

He was attached to our fighting unit, as Chaplain

U.S. Marine Corps

Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division

1966-1967

Parris Island, South Carolina

Yes

Yes

Yes

Through the Tampa Chapter of SDIT

A thought etched in my memoryi is one day before we were to go a search and destroy mission, in my minds eye, i can still see Chaplain Cappadonno standing there, telling us Marines, to be of good courage, fight the good fight, and regardless of the outcome, we would always be the better for fighting for what was right. In the firefight that ensued, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, for running to the aid of the dying, and wounded. Disregarding his own safety, he took care of his Marines first, and was cut down in a blaze of machine gun fire from the enemy. May his soul rest in peace. Prayers for his family.

Until all wars cease, may we continue to have men of valor of Chaplain Cappadonno's stature.

Tennessee

Robert Lewis Trevathan

Robert Lewis Trevathan

cousin

Marines

pfc

1968

na

no

no

no

browsing

I miss you so much. All the good times we had together. You and me and Mary Jane & Donnie. Thank you for servicing our country for us .Thank you for being my hero. I love you so.

My best cousin

Ohio

David R Devers

David R Devers

daugther

Army

U.S.advisery attached to South Vietnamese !st Infantry Division

April 1966 to September 30,1966

North Carolina

sorry no

NO

?no

www.vvmf.org

Of my Father whom gave his life to keep us FREE. He wasn't there for his four children and he has missed five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He missed seeing his oldest grandson join the Army and now serve in Iraq for the third time. Father I know you'd be "PROUD" We're "PROUD" of you and miss you every day. All my Love your oldest Davida Ronna

T

CALIFORNIA

ROBERT E SIMMONS

I AM HIS SISTER

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

16TH SPECIAL OPERATIONS SQUADRON

1971-1972

YES - MANY TIMES

NO

NO

34 YEARS HAVE PASSED AND I STILL MISS YOU. YOUR SPIRIT IS NEVER FAR.

ANYONE KNOWING MY BROTHER OR CREW I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM.

Indiana

CPL. Thomas Steven Hickman

CPL> Thomas Steven Hickman

I am his Sister

Army

196th Infantry

1969-1970

Fort Knox, KY

Just the Moving Wall

No

No

search engine

Love you my brother, my best friend, my hero.

please pass the word around about the Gold Star Siblings Inc. We are not affliated with any other Gold Star Sibling group, we are the only Gold Star Sibling Group that is Incorporated.

Washington

Robert F. Henry

Father

UDT

UDT 12

1968 (Vietnam) but served from 1964 to 68

San Diego

No...I would like to go....

no

not yet

Corky Condon told me about it

I remember coming home after a Veteran's Day high-school assembly and sitting with my father talking about his service...he brought out his Frog Man "year books" and I spent hours listening to his stories....I was 17 and it was the first time he had ever talked about his experience in Nam' with me...I will always treasure that memory.

I just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful website and project - for helping everyone to remember and share their memories and love.

Ohio

Sgt Robert James Mussin

Robert James Mussin

my father

army

charlie company 4/21st 11th brigade americal divison the coffler organzation

1970

fort benning ga

no not yet

yes

vietnam veteran

i didnt have the chance to remember my father i was only 6 months old when he died. i just recently learned the truth that my mom and dad werent married when they had me. they were gonna get married when he got back from the war. but he never made it back so the secert never was told, nobody knew of me. when my father died my mom barried the memory of my father deep in her heart, my mother married my step father when i was 4 and he adopted me. he was a good father to me. i just want to learn all i can about my father the war hero. i look just like my father and proud to be his daughter. i love you dad. i have every army thing i see. i watch all movies about the war to learn as much as i can about that time. and to feel close to my father. hold me in your arms dad i need the memory of you

if anyone remembers my father would you please email me. i would love to hear from you. and would love to hear from all of you.
welcome home
i love what you did for us
((((((((((hugs))))))))))
oneswiftgal@msn.com

California

SSGT Gregory R. Benton, Jr.

Gregory R. Benton, Jr.

Gregory is my younger brother

U.S. Marine Corps

1/9, 3rd Marine Division

1969-1969

MCRD San Diego, California

every June since 1986

Yes

Yes

Google

While at the Wall this past June (2005), I found a note on Father's Day that a former Marine from Echo Company, 2/9 left for my brother. I can't read his name at the end of the message but he knew my brother from Operation Apache Snow. I am trying to find this former Marine because he may be able to answer some questions I have about my brother during his time in Vietnam.
POWMay2369@earthlink.net
Mary E. Benton (sister)

Thank you for all you do for so many family and friends of the lost and missing. I appreciate you so much.

california

gerald martinez

he wasmy father

army

67-68

ATTENTION:
Sons and Daughters
Of
“Vietnam Veterans”


I am a 38 year old man, born of January 67 in San Jose. In that same year my father, only of 18 years being so young, was off fighting for our country in The Central Highlands of Vietnam. He was actually enlisted before I was born. He was in fact seeing my mother before and after his tour in THE NAM . Yes I believe we are entitled to say that! My reason is because, being son and or daughter of an American that has fought in Vietnam give us the **** right! This story goes much further, but that’s not what I’m declaring at this junction. What I’m asking for is help, from those of you like myself that feel like we were there in The Nam, because the way we were brought up. I have children now and I do not want to treat them the way I was treated growing up. Yet, I find that history is repeating itself through me towards my children. Flashback city, it is literally tearing my family apart as it did to my mother and father’s family apart! I’m making a big step forward, by even admitting this to myself, that there is a parallel. I know if we could get together on these issues, we may find out that we are not alone, and we can help each other from being alone, not just sons and daughters of one particular American war, but of all wars we fight. I feel we all can help each other to assumability and live healthy, productive lives and leave the wars on the field in which they were fought on. I’m not saying to forget those who did fight, but to live a better life than the one I’m living now! Let’s help each other as loving fellow human beings, to overcome the stress disorder in which we interfered one way or another.


Sincerely Son of
A
Vietnam Veteran
And
Bronze Star Hero

COLORADO

NORMAN H JONES

DAUGHTER

ARMY

INTERNET SURFING

I LOVE MY DADDY !!!