We were soldiers once....

...and we were young.**

Gr-grandfather, Martin Van Buren Shive, Civil War, Bull Run

Gr-Grandfather Martin Van Buren Shive, second from right, Bull Run
Civil War. Supposedly a mean "son of a bitch".

Louis Benjamin Peck  Civil War Veteran

Uncle Leo Peck, WW1
Son of Louis
B. Peck

Lewis Parker Cardiff, WW1

Grandfather

Louis "Bud" Peck, Army Air Corp., Mariana Islands
Grandson of Louis B. Peck.
Location of the atomic bomb plane, Enola Gay

Cousin Bill Peyton, Infantry, Vietnam, died  1970

Classmate from high school, James Michael Williams

A boy from my town,  Jay Shelby, died 1967

Our town boy, Jay Shelby, died 1967

Not just memory

**
A book written by Lt. General Hal Moore (Ret)
with war reporter Joseph L. Galloway

Heart Heavy, the Letter V

Vietnam Memorial, Washington, CD

                                     

Jay Shelby

There are some letters, some words, some places that are painful to think, imagine, or to speak.  This is one of them.

The Letter V is for Vietnam

William Peyton

Joseph Michael Williams

Jay and Mike were from my hometown
of 427.
  
William was my cousin.

They were all so very young.

And we all know of someone who had gone to Vietnam.

  

When no photo was available, this
took its place.

When you meet a Vietnam veteran, greet them with thanks and kindness.
For them, Vietnam never ended.

Vietnam is for the Letter V

In our town of 427 residents, five young men died.  In our small rural county, full of farmers and hard-working people, over 100 boys died horrible deaths.