Fallen Vietnam War Veterans of Mendocino County, CA

my travels I am Dennis, but in Willits I’m still Denny. I want to begin by saying something you might not hear anywhere else in the country today. I would like to recognize the good work being done by Doctor Kyaw, my VA doctor at the Ukiah Community Outpatient Clinic. That problem has been fixed and now the clinic is meeting the needs of 3,200 local Veterans with Primary Health Care. Please keep doing the good work Dr. Kyaw and thank you for your service to the community. I want to recognize a special guest of mine, Vietnam veteran, Harrison Walter, United States Marine Corps. (I know he is here because I brought him here, and he doesn’t know I’m going to say this) He served in combat near the DMZ in ’67-’68, a dangerous place to be. 47 years late… thank you for your service Harry, and welcome home. As we were installing the granite, he said to me, “You are doing a good thing, Denny.” That put me over the top and made it all worthwhile even before the memorial was done. It is my privilege and great honor to be able to give this gift today. This project was completed on time and under budget (for all you government people out there, it should always be like that). This is the most lasting, most meaningful, and the most emotional project I have ever done. Thank you for being a part of it. As of today, this memorial belongs to all of you. A younger person might innocently ask,
WHY DO WE NEED A MEMORIAL? For a war that was 50 years ago. The short answer to that is for education and history; dating back to the end of World War One, when President Calvin Coolidge said, “The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.”

There is a longer answer. It is about honoring, remembering, healing, and service to our country. Most of us remember the familiar quote made by President John F. Kennedy: “Ask NOT what your country can do for you, but what YOU can do for your country.”

For me, giving Mendocino County this memorial is doing something for my country. It is giving something back. I served during the Vietnam era but I did not go to Vietnam. I have enjoyed the privileges of being an American. I have enjoyed my individual freedom my whole life. As a young boy growing up in Willits, I remember thinking how lucky I was to have been born in America. I liked Northern California and being from a small town. I knew, not everyone in this world gets to live like we do. I was about 5 or 6 years old when I watched my first movie at the Noyo Theater and I saw Audie Murphy in the movie: “To Hell and Back,” where he played himself when he earned the Medal of Honor during World War Two. (Actually he wasn’t playing himself so much as he was doing a reenactment. He would tell the other actors on the set to “Get Down. Get Down,” when the explosions went off, still feeling the effects of war). My life’s destiny began then and I knew someday I would serve in the Army. I am retired from the Army as a Major. And yes, I was Major Miner. My life’s journey has brought me back to here, to Willits, standing in front of you, just down the street from the Noyo Theater, where it all began. Now, Hollywood is making a movie about one of our men, Captain Daniel Dawson from Fort Bragg. (His grandson, Jacob Dawson is here with us today) The name of the movie is “Brother of the Pilot,” and filming is taking place in Malaysia. I’m going to spoil the ending. There is no winning the war and coming home with a Medal of Honor like Audie Murphy. Danny Dawson is still missing in action. Today we are flying the MIA/POW flag, for our two missing Vietnam Veterans. Their planes were shot down and never found. They have not been brought home for a proper funeral. We need a memorial with their names etched on it because they are not forgotten. We have also put up a reserved parking sign for any combat wounded veteran awarded the Purple Heart from any war. They are recognized for their distinguished service. In the days ahead, when you pass by this memorial I hope that you will remember these words: “What have I done for my country?”
If you cannot think of anything that is recent or significant, let me offer you a couple of suggestions:
1. If you see someone in uniform, tell him or her, “Thank you for your service.”
2. If you meet up with a Veteran, look them in the eye, shake their hand, then tell them “Thank you for your service.”
3. If you see a combat wounded veteran or a disabled veteran, open the door for them. Ask them “How can I be of assistance?” Then thank them for their service.
4. If you know of a family member who has lost a loved one, take a personal interest and please offer a kind word of support. Always remember, when America goes to war…our families go to war. Try to imagine what they endured, and what they sacrificed for our country. The suffering, pain and loss are everlasting. The names and faces of those lost are passed on to younger generations, but there always seems to be, an empty place at the table. I am a witness. My son Mark is 21. He is named after Sergeant Mark Rudolf, his mother’s brother, who was also killed in Vietnam. When you do these things it, all counts towards doing something for your country. Nationally, survey data suggest more than half of all Veterans report a feeling of being disconnected from their communities. The memorial and the museum can serve as the bridge that connects the community with our veterans. It’s already working. Veterans are telling their stories. We need to keep this going and make the bridge work for all of us. We need a memorial to honor the hardship, suffering and sacrifice of all our veterans throughout our history who secured for us, our freedom. They are our freedom providers. They protect our way of life. We need this memorial so that these 22 honorable and gallant men find their rightful place in that history. Just inside the museum, on the left, we set up a room with a Wall of Faces. It has all their pictures. Some have a youthful smile. Most are in their early twenties. One was only 19. Three were Native American warriors from local tribes. They were soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. They all earned the Vietnam Service Ribbon and it is painted in color on top of the center panel of the memorial. Below it are all of the service emblems. The center panel recognizes all veterans. I compiled their stories and pictures in this booklet as a companion to the memorial. If you decide to pick up one to read I will let you know in advance that it is hard to read. Each story has an ill-fated, emotional part to it. You will learn that some of the men were recognized for bravery before going to Vietnam. Some men were awarded medals for bravery during battle. All left their home, their family, their friends for a country and a war far away and then sacrificed all of their tomorrows. All together, we have the booklet of stories, the Wall of Faces with photos, and the granite memorial with their names and hometowns. We have paid a fitting tribute to these 22 servicemen. As I visited with some of the families, I learned the nicknames, as they were known by when they were growing up. I will now read the proper names, nicknames and the hometowns. The towns are grouped in alphabetical order and so are the names:

From Comptche:
John Hollister

From Covelo:
Clyde “Ed” Rains
Lewis “Hoody” Short

From Fort Bragg:
Daniel “Danny” Dawson
John “Johnny” Patton
Billie Sandefur
Louis Scholte


From Mendocino:
Clyde “Poogie” Lucas

From Redwood Valley:
Eugene Campbell
Charles “Charlie” Crain

From Ukiah:
Donald Armstrong
Steven Brunton
Dennis Dunsing
Ed Frenyea
Michael “Mike” Green
G. B. “Bobby” Jackson, Junior
Ronald “Ronnie” Wafford
Jeffrey “Jeff” Wesolowski

From Willits:
Lee “Larry” Adams
Kenneth “Kenny” Butler, Junior
Clinton Fackrell
Robert “Mike” Lathrope

Our dedication ceremony here today is a small token of remembrance. We cannot do enough in a single day, but we can do this. We make this pledge to honor you…every single day…by not taking our freedom and our country, for granted. The memorial will serve as a constant reminder of the cost of human conflict. Again, as President Kennedy said, “the cost of freedom is always high, and Americans have always paid it.”

Now, we have another song by Necole. Her contribution to veterans is singing patriotic songs. This one is 150 years old, from the Civil War, where both the North and the South played it for their fallen soldiers. Taps- Day is Done. Words to Taps

Day is done,
gone the sun,
From the hills,
from the lake,
From the skies. All is well,
safely rest,
God is nigh. Thanks and praise,
For our days,
'Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh. Thank you Necole. Thank you very much.

“Prepare for the unveiling” Color guard posts.

“Everyone please stand.”

“Bugler” (plays Taps during unveiling by Color Guard)

Let this granite memorial stand forever as a symbol of sacrifice and a monument to all who serve our county. God Bless America.