THE WALL OF FACES

SP5 John K. Anderson was a Voice Interpreter serving with the 1st Radio Research Company, 509th Army Security Agency Group. Radio Research Units operated in Vietnam under the direction of the U.S. Army Security Agency and conducted classified missions. Their work included intercepting morse code and voice communications of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, then forwarding the captured intelligence to division commanders in pursuit of their tactical war-fighting operations. After graduating high school in 1966, Anderson enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to the Presidio of Monterey, U.S. Army Defense Language School, CA, after basic military training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He was taught to speak Vietnamese and learned Vietnamese customs prior to being assigned to the Republic of South Vietnam in 1967 where he served as an interpreter and interrogator. On August 10, 1969, Anderson was involved in a vehicle accident in Khanh Hoa Province, RVN. He was fatally injured in the incident. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Vietnam Fighting Claims 2 Local Soldier’s Lives.” Wyandotte News-Herald (Wyandotte, MI), August 20, 1969, courtesy of Adam Oster, Community Engagement Librarian, Library of Michigan, Michigan Department of Education, Lansing, MI]

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

As long as you are remembered you will never truly die....

Specialist Five John Keith Anderson, Served with the 1st Radio Research Company, 509th Army Security Agency Group, Army Security Agency, United States Army Vietnam.

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Thank you for stepping up and answering your country's call. Rest easy knowing you will never be forgotten.

John was my youngest brother. He went to the Defense Language Institute to learns Vietnamese and became an interpreter. He wrote home often; separate letters to our parents and his siblings. He never gave any info that had to be redacted but kept his letters enjoyable. He did tell us once that he had lost a front tooth on one of his many helicopter jumps doing his job, when he forgot to duck. He also told us he and others had rescued a mother dog and her pups and he listed all their names but one which he gracefully said, for Mom's sake, was named after her mother... Wish I could go on and on :)
One sad letter explained that he had planned to send a surprise home before he would be home and was sure we would all love the surprise. But it turned out the surprise was a Vietnamese girl he wanted to send home for her safety, until he came across a paper she had listing Americans who were wanted by the North and John's name was on it. We could only imagine his sadness when he had to turn her in. He still signed up,for a second tour but didn't live to complete it.
If anyone remembers John or any other interpreters read this I would love to hear from them. I've asked on many sites but never have found any other interpreters.