I hope on Memorial Day Weekend you are able to enjoy the fruits of your labor and consider how fortunate you are today. It could always be worse but we live in a pluralistic society where hard work and a little luck might allow you to improve your circumstances. America has always been able to count on it's soldier class to serve America's interests when required. It is the same in every conflict and I see nothing which will change this attitude in the long view. So, as you enjoy the weekend, take the time to think about the men and women in active service, recovering or still lingering with battle wounds seen and not so clear. As I know we can count on the future I am so very thankful for the service of my Great Great Ancestors who served in many capacities and many providing their full measure of life.

With the digital age upon us we now have the ability to learn and digest more about the events of life. Certainly with the Viet Nam War Memorial and everything it has spun off gives us access to information only previously contained in personal letters home or shared only with comrades. Contrast how quickly we know of a loved one's death in our current military conflicts with that of our US Civil War. As there wasn't a notification system it fell upon my Great Great Grandfather's friend and brother-in-law to write a letter home to my Great Great Grandmother telling her of her husband's death. So, in the current era circa 2010 we can amass a good deal of information about casualties.

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina suffered 95 casualties resulting in death during the Viet Nam era. Of total deaths 19% were caused by Accidents, infectious disease and suicide. This is a significantly lower rate compared to the US Civil War when this rate was about 67%. That means that about 424,000 people died in the Civil War of 'Non-hostile" causes.

In the Viet Nam era 5 of the deaths were related to vehicular crashes-incidents, 4 were fixed winged aircraft crewmen and two helicopter crewmen. Two deaths were recorded of individuals who died simply being passengers going about their business. One of these very unlucky folks was traveling home as he had completed his tour of duty. Three of our Mecklenburg deaths were the result of drowning and two from self-inflicted mortal wounds.

The oldest person to be killed was 38 years old and the youngest was 19. The US Army represented 64% of the deaths, the Marine Corps had 26% including the Hospital Corpsman serving with the FMF, the Air Force lost 6% and the Navy the remaining 3%. The greatest number of death types among hostile deaths in the Army or USMC was explosive device which is another way to describe "booby traps".

I invested a significant amount of energy and emotional capital to present the Mecklenburg deaths in a humanistic manner with images wherever possible building on the efforts of brothers Tom & Jim Reece. The Viet Nam era is my era and was my time to serve. Dry lists of names that can be spreadsheet sorted simply don't tell you the story. I cried over several of these listing even though these men have been dead and gone for a long time now. I realize that someone could have been adding my own name to a similar list; I am so glad and thankful that isn't the case.

I did this to honor these heroes and to remind us of the full measure of their sacrifice. I want you to know more about the man who died on his birthday; the man who died knowing he was out of it and was on his way to "Get on a Jet Plane"; a man who rushed in and drowned trying to save a comrade and two men who were spent and in despair ended their pain. I want you to hear the story of Capt John Dudley Wiley who I personally nominate as having the most unfortunate death of all.

In the Viet Nam era, indeed I suggest all era's and conflicts, there is no such thing as "friendly fire". If you are present in a conflict area then everything is conducted in a fog of war and things never go as planned or work the way they are designed. Therefore all service and casualties in my way of thinking are hostile.