RECEIVED FROM A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE...

Joe Carfora

As we face a new year, I recall visiting with three old friends, a few years back, at a park in the nation's capital.     It seems like only yesterday that we were all together, but actually it has been 42 years.  There was a crowd at the park that day, and it took us a while to connect, but with the aid of a book we made it.  I found Harry, Bruce and Paul.     In 1970-72 we were gung-ho young fighter pilots on America and Constellation off Vietnam , the cream of the crop of the U.S. Navy, flying F-4J Phantoms.  Now their names are on that 500-foot-long Vietnam War Memorial.  I am hesitant to visit the wall when I'm in Washington DC because I don't trust myself to keep my composure.      Standing in front of that somber wall, I tried to keep it light, reminiscing about how things were back then.  We used to joke about our passionate love affair with an inanimate flying objects we flew.  We marveled at the thought that we actually got paid to do it.  We were not draftees but college graduates in Vietnam by choice, opting for the cramped confines of a jet fighter cockpit over the comfort of corporate America .  In all my life I've not been so passionate about any other work.  If that sounds like an exaggeration, then you've never danced the wild blue with a supersonic angel.  To fight for your country is an honor. I vividly remember leaving my family and friends in San Diego headed for Vietnam . I wondered if I would live to see them again.  For reasons I still don't understand, I was fortunate to return while others did not. Once in Vietnam , we passed the long, lonely hours in Alert 5, the ready room, our staterooms or the Cubi O'Club. The complaint heard most often, in the standard gallows humor of a combat squadron, was, "It's a lousy war, but it's the only one we have." (I've cleaned up the language a bit.) We sang mostly raunchy songs that never seemed to end-someone was always writing new verses-and, as an antidote to loneliness, fear in the night and the sadness over dead friends, we often drank too much. At the wall, I told the guys only about the good parts of the years since we've been apart.  I talked of those who went on to command squadrons.  Those who made Captain and flag rank.  I asked them if they've seen some other squadronmates who have joined them. I didn't tell them about how ostracized Vietnam vets still are.  I didn't relate how the media had implied we Vietnam vets were, to quote one syndicated columnist, "either suckers or psychos, victims or monsters." I didn't tell them that Hanoi Jane, who shot at us and helped torture our POWs, had married one of the richest guys in the United States .  I didn't tell them that the secretary of defense they fought for back then has now declared that he was not a believer in the cause for which he assigned them all to their destiny.  I didn't tell them that our commander-in-chief avoided serving while they were fighting and dying. And I didn't tell them we "lost" that lousy war.  I gave them the same story I've used for years: We were winning when I left.  I relived that final day as I stared at the black onyx wall.  After 297 combat missions, we were leaving the South China Sea ...heading east.  The excitement of that day was only exceeded by coming into the break at Miramar , knowing that my wife, my two boys, my parents and other friends and family were waiting to welcome me home. I was not the only one talking to the wall through tears.  Folks in fatigues, leather vests, motorcycle jackets, flight jackets lined the wall talking to friends.  I backed about 25 yards away from the wall and sat down on the grass under a clear blue sky and midday sun that perfectly matched the tropical weather of the war zone.  The wall, with all 58,200 names, consumed my field of vision.  I tried to wrap my mind around the violence, carnage and ruined lives that it represented.  Then I thought of how Vietnam was only one small war in the history of the human race.  I was overwhelmed with a sense of mankind's wickedness balanced against some men and women's willingness to serve. Before becoming a spectacle in the park, I got up and walked back up to the wall to say goodbye and ran my fingers over the engraved names of my friends as if I could communicate with them through some kind of spiritual touch. I wanted them to know that God, duty, honor and country will always remain the noblest calling.  Revisionist history from elite draft dodgers trying to justify and rationalize their own actions will never change that. I believe I have been a productive member of society since the day I left Vietnam .  I am honored to have served there, and I am especially proud of my friends-heroes who voluntarily, enthusiastically gave their all.  They demonstrated no greater love to a nation whose highbrow opinion makers are still trying to disavow them.  May their names, indelibly engraved on that memorial wall, likewise be found in the Book of Life.  Remember that throughout the new year.

As an afterthought, I find it funny how simple it is for people to trash different ways of living and believing and then wonder why the world is going to hell. Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing. Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of morality is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny isn't it? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what I think of me.

I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014...

Hicksville Vietnam War Era Memorial

For the first time in many months, no new names were added in January.  However, progress continued to be made on filling in missing data for the Confirmed List and eliminating qualification for the Unconfirmed List.

As previously mentioned, the Project Team voted to allow the addition of Reserve and National Guard members to the Confirmed List of Names, provided they served during the Vietnam War Era and otherwise meet all other qualification requirements listed below.  Under our old qualification rules, Reserve and National Guard members did not qualify, so if you submitted your name, or the name of a friend, in the past who did not qualify for this reason, please resubmit that name now for inclusion to the Confirmed List of names.

As a HixNews reader, please continue to help us by reviewing both lists when you select the "click here" options near the bottom of this update with your computer mouse.  To speed the process, just look for names with your class year, or the years you may be familiar with, as a reference and see if you have a new name or some missing data on existing names to email to us.  Class years, where known, are specifically shown to make this effort easier for everyone.  Missing data for names is shown in red, to make it easier for readers to see what's needed.

The Unconfirmed List was created to insure we don't leave anyone behind from earlier class years (the 1940's and 50's) who served during the Vietnam War Era and deserve recognition.  Please see if you can help us establish if these folks served during the Vietnam Era (Vietnam Era dates are shown in the "Memorial Qualifications" section below). 

We are still awaiting confirmation of our petition for not-for-profit (NFP) status from the IRS, in order to proceed with our fund raising plans.  The petition includes establishing a bank account with the name Hicksville Vietnam Era Memorial, LLC.  A tax identification number has already been obtained for this entity.  Ken Strafer is trying to contact the IRS to move this along.

The Project Team officially approved the final copy of governing by-laws of the LLC in early December.  This document was forwarded to the IRS on December 3^rd, to accompany our NFP petition, noted in the above paragraph.

Memorial Qualifications:  A person must have been on active duty in one of our Armed Forces, served in the Active Reserves or served in the National Guard during the Vietnam War Era.  Active duty personnel did not necessarily have to serve in Vietnam , because by being in service at that time he or she faced the possibility of being sent to Vietnam and was an integral part of strengthening our Armed Forces during a time of war.

Overall qualifications include:

• must have been a resident of Hicksville at some time before entering our Armed Forces
• must have attended a public, private or parochial high school while living in Hicksville (attendance at HHS not required)
• must have served on Active Duty anywhere in the world during America 's Vietnam Era (February,1961 through April,1975), or on Active Reserve or National Guard Duty in the USA during the same period.
• Both men and women qualify (We're stating this since, while a number of women have been added, we still have relatively few on the current list overall)

Our Project Team consists of the following HHS Alumni and Vietnam War Era Veterans and is pleased to add its newest member in Terry Wallace:

·        Ken Strafer, Founder (HHS '62)

·        Joe Carfora, Project Coordinator & Master List (HHS '62)

·        Carl Probst, Input Data, Class of '59 & Others (HHS '59)

·        Tony Plonski, Input Data, Class of '64 & Others (HHS '64)

·        Tommy Sullivan, Press Release Editing (HHS '63)

·        Walter Schmidt, Town of Oyster Bay Veterans Services Officer (HHS '65)

·        Joe Ingino, Veterans Advocate, Hicksville & Long Island (HHS '67)

·        Jay Tranchina, Input Data, Class of '64 & Others, plus local press contact (HHS '64)

·        Bill Walden, Cmdr of Hicksville VFW Post, Site Selection/Approval & Fundraising Leader (HHS '65)

·        Terry Wallace, Input Data, Class of '66 & Others, has fundraising experience (HHS '66)                                                   

Here's what we continue to need from each person reading this to do:

Please click on the following link to review the Confirmed List of Names:  Click here

Please click on the following link to review the UNCONFIRMED List of Names:  Click here

If you know of someone who is not listed, or if you have information we are still missing, please send what you have to Joe Carfora at jcarfora1@nc.rr.com.  Please use the information contained on the current list as a guide for the data we need.

Thank you!

The Vietnam War Era Memorial Project Team

Footnote extracted from www.vietnamwar.com:  During nearly 15 years of military involvement, over 2 million Americans served in Vietnam with 500,000 seeing actual combat. 47,244 were killed in action, including 8000 airmen. There were 10,446 non-combat deaths. 153,329 were seriously wounded, including 10,000 amputees. Over 2400 American POWs/MIAs were unaccounted for as of 1973.

To access a huge list of veteran related websites that offer assistance, visit http://buffalobobcasale.com