Monday, May 29, 2006

Memorial Day

I remember I was about 10 years old, my mom crying when she got word. He was the only son of my great aunt and uncle, she was widowed at the time he died. The last time we saw him was at my grandparent's farm. He had his lovely fiance with him. I thought they were just beautiful together. They never got married. Bill was a gunner in South Vietnam, a "green bean" as one officer affectionately described him. He and his crew died in a chopper crash.
William Henry Murphy
Lieutenant (junior grade)COASTAL DIV 15, TF 115, USNAVFORV United States Navy23 September 1942 - 19 November 1967 Madison, WisconsinPanel 30E Line 025



















CW3 Curtis Woodrow Hutto, pilot, A/1/9 Cav
WO1 Michael Joseph Utter, copilot, A/1/9 Cav
LTJG William Henry Murphy III, observer, COSDIV 15
SP4 Jeffrey Allen Hawk, crew chief, A/1/9 Cav

9 comments:

bruced said...

I have a fond appreciation for those guys, and all who paid the ultimate price. They gave their lives for us... for our freedom... for our peace. God bless all those who suffer for us. God bless all those who gave it all.

karen said...

Thanks, Bruce. The politics of war tend to overshadow the reality of lives that matter. Bless you.

... Paige said...

Thanks to your family for sharing the life to enable me to remain a proud American.

Bar L. said...

Thank you for sharing this, I lost my cousin, Armand, in Viet Nam also. His brothers came back alive but one was so addicted to heroin that he ended up committing suicide.

karen said...

Thank you for telling us about Armand. It's important to remember. Viet Nam was a mess. I have friends who will never be the same.

karen said...

I had one friend who became a drug addict, as well. I'm so sorry about your cousin who committed suicide. He was a victim of war, as well, yes?

Tracy said...

Thanks for sharing that, Karen. We always spend our Memorial Day on the road returning from an annual camping trip, and now that we've unpacked, I needed to take another moment to remember what the day is about.

Love you!

karen said...

Tracy, good to "see" you!
We thank YOU...your family sacrificed much when your hubby did a year in Iraq. Thank God he came home safely!

Mark D said...

My father-in-law fought in Vietnam. He rarely talks about it. Thanks for the reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that so many have made for our freedom and the freedom of those in other countries.