Daily Wall: April 5

There are over 58,000 people who's names are currently listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

I am listing them all, day by day(by date of loss), until I have gone through each and every one of them.

I am not cut/pasting these names, I feel a responsibility to type each of them individually. If you see any mistakes or omissions, please let me know so I can promptly correct them.

I encourage you to read them aloud, or at least read them all, each day.

We will never forget.

Stephen James Hubert (Lamberton, MN)

___

James P Alexander  1971

David B Anderson  1969

Lewis E Avery  1967

Douglas G Bailey  1968

Kenneth N Bailey Jr  1970

William M Barschow  1965

Stephen E Belcher  1969

Karl R Berbert  1971

Walter J Bernreuther  1968

Vance A Berry  1968

Thomas E Best  1969

Lawrence C Bigelow  1970

Chester Bob  1968

William E Boone IV  1969

David R Borzych  1970

Glenn T Bristow  1967

James A Brock  1969

Willard Brookens Jr  1967

James W Brown  1966

Louis Brown  1969

Andrew Z Bucior  1968

Brian L Buker  1970

David L Burnett  1969

Guy A Byrd  1967

Paul P Cabe  1971

Paul M Cahill  1970

John F Candelas  1968

James A Cardinale  1968

Clarence J Carson Jr  1970

Harold L Carver  1967

German Chaparro-Villanueva  1966

Peter Y Claw  1968

Donald L Cline  1969

Charles M Cobb  1970

Jonathan Collins III  1969

Thomas E Combs  1967

Patrick J Conroy  1969

Robert F Cote  1967

Rex L Craig  1967

Larry R Creecy  1968

Curtis H Cropper  1970

Michael R Cuneen  1966

Ernest B Cupp  1967

Stephen A Daniel  1969

Eligah L Davis  1970

Frank DeMarchi Jr  1966

Lance A DeRoo  1970

Alan J Dean  1967

Ray G Desmond  1971

Steven E Donaldson  1969

Lawrence W Dudley Jr  1969

George E Edden  1968

John N Edwards  1969

Leonard W Elie  1967

Jimmie L Allerbe  1967

Kenneth Estes  1969

Gary J Fielder  1971

Ronald J Fitch  1967

David B Fitzgerald  1971

Jimmie L Forrest  1969

Joseph R Foss  1965

James H Fowler  1967

David H Gamboa Jr  1969

William S Geary  1969

Eugene P Gee  1970

Barney M Giles Jr  1966

Robert E Girsch  1968

Arthur Glass  1971

Raymond C Graver Jr  1970

Raymond M Greene  1970

Cephus Griffin Jr  1968

Bert Guerra III  1967

Alan Guymon  1968

Douglas R Harp  1968

Donald A Harrell  1968

Robert J Harris  1969

Paul L Harrison  1967

John C Havlick  1968

John R Hendrix  1968

Hugh G Hill Jr  1969

Carl E Hosnander  1968

Olan J Howe  1970

Steven J Hubert  1969

Lars P Hustad  1969

Marion R Hutchins  1967

George J Hyatt  1969

Wayne L Isaacs  1969

Kenneth R Jamerson  1967

Keith W Hauffman  1966

William P Kelly  1967

Kenneth M Kessinger  1967

Burley D Kiracofe  1969

Ernest A Lang  1968

Calvin J Layton  1970

Paul R le Houllier  1969

Richard T Leavell  1969

William M Light  1969

Alfred G Lira  1967

Robert C Lira  1969

Robert Locket Jr  1970

James A Loux  1971

Willie L Lowe  1969

William L Lowery  1970

Harold W Lowther  1966

Daniel J Mack  1968

Jerry W Manning  1967

Eddie L Marshall  1967

Jerry W Martin  1969

Isidro Martinez  1966

Rafael Martinez-Santiago  1968

Donald J Matocha  1968

Philip R Mattracion  1967

Lawrence McCrea  1968

William C McDowell  1971

Douglas D McMahon  1968

Mikolaw Melnyk  1969

Nathaniel Merriweather  1966

Steven Michalski  1969

Leonard I Moore  1967

Charles H Neel Jr  1968

Lee R Nolley  1969

Clarence J Novak  1970

Walter M Ostapchuk  1968

Islam Ozger  1969

Thomas A Parker  1967

Daniel G Patrick  1967

Booker T Patterson Jr  1969

James A Pemberton  1968

Richard W Perdue  1969

Burton W Peterson Jr  1968

Robert H Pettit  1967

Boyce D Phillips  1969

John R Pierini  1968

Robert W Reed  1967

Charlie Reed Jr  1966

Larry A Reynolds  1969

Gary A Rhodes  1968

Larry R Rieken  1969

Kenneth R Roberts  1968

Paul D Rodriguez  1966

John W Rohr  1970

Chester E Rowe Jr  1967

Charles L Salter  1967

Carlos J Sanchez  1966

Ronald R Schnaidt  1967

Michael M Scott  1971

Joseph A Scruggs  1967

Brooke M Shadburne  1967

Andrew M Simko  1970

James L Slade Jr  1966

James A Slagel  1967

Norman E Small  1968

Paul E Smith  1969

Walter M Snead  1967

Henry M Spengler III  1972

Wesley W Sperling  1968

Chuck M Stadel  1969

Kendall A Stake  1968

Edward M Stanchek  1966

Paul H Stein Jr  1968

George T Subert  1967

John P Supple  1968

Harold L Talley  1967

Paul E Thomas  1970

Robert R Thompson  1968

David W Timm  1968

Richard Toepritz  1967

Steven M Torrey  1970

Bruce Tortorici  1968

Douglas L Vande-Vegte  1969

Harry E Wagner  1967

Winston C Walker  1970

Roger E Ward  1968

Franklin F Weaver  1966

Scott T Wellborne  1966

Frederick A Wentz  1966

Michael L Wertman  1969

Tommy L White  1966

Joseph P Williams  1967

Richard E Williams  1968

Charles C Windeler Jr  1972

Joe A Wittkop  1968

Arnold Woodson  1966

Fred Young  1968

Leland D Zahn  1967

#MondayMachines - Bell UH-1 Iroquois

You don't have to look too far when viewing photos or video of combat operations in Vietnam to see a Huey. They, as much as any other piece of equipment(possibly excluding individual weapons), defined the war in Vietnam. The Huey was used extensively, for a number of different mission types, including, general support, air assault, cargo transport, aeromedical evacuation(medevac), search and rescue, electronic warfare, and ground attack. It became an absolutely vital piece of equipment to those serving in the war, both on the ground, in the air and command structures.

I can think, off of the top of my head, at least two Medal of Honor actions that directly involved the Huey. Those of Bruce Crandall at LZ-Xray during the Ia Drang battle and of Rodney Yano of the 11th Armored Cavalary Regiment, Blackhorse Regiment, where he died but saved the lives of all but one on board the Huey he was on when a WP grenade exploded and started cooking off all the ammo on board. I'm sure there are other instances of this as well.

The Bell HU-1A, later re-designated the UH-1A, was first put into service by the Army's 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, the 82nd Airborne and the 57 Medical Detachment. The 57th's Hueys first arrived in Vietnam in March of 1962. They weren't retired from the Army's active service until 2005, 42 years later. Not a bad run for this storied machine. They have been used by other branches and many other countries in various roles through the years as well. There were over 40 variants produced and several over-all upgrades as well.

Just in Vietnam, over 7,000 were ushered into service. Of those, over 3,300 were destroyed. Almost 1,200 Huey pilots were killed along with over 1,100 crew. The lives saved by these men and machines is innumerable. For the most part, if you were injured, the sight of the "Dust Off" was very re-assuring and likely meant survival from your wounds.

For those that piloted the Huey. Your service is probably most revered by those on the ground waiting to hear those rotors coming. The pilots and crew were looked upon with a tremendous amount of respect and admiration. You were heroes to a lot of people. We can;t thank you enough.

To those who perished. We look at you the same way, only with great sadness because of the loss. Many great men were taken from us while flying in the Huey. Your memory lives on. We honor you and you hold a special place in the hearts of many.

The UH-1's importance, especially during Vietnam cannot be overstated. This chopper was the standard bearer for many years and everything that has come after it has drawn on it's design and influence in some way.