THE WALL OF FACES

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 die...

Major Meredith Glenn Anderson, Served with the 17th Special Operations Squadron, 14th Special Operations Wing, 7th Air Force.

You helped raise me when I was a child. You were only 14 years older than me, but you took me under your wing. When I was 7, I told you I was going to marry you when I grew up. Well, that never happened, but we remained close and once I knew I couldn't marry you, you became my favorite uncle out of all that I had. As I grew older and finally "up" we had good times and good memories together. I wrote you lots and lots of letters over the years. I still have the last one you wrote to me, just 3 months before you were killed in that plane crash, flying for a night mission. I get it out every April 28 and read it and the tears are still there. The pain of missing you doesn't lessen. I love you and miss you always.

On April 27, 1970, an AC-119G gunship (#53-8155) from Detachment 1,17th Special Operations Squadron, 14th Special Operations Wing, USAF, crashed shortly after takeoff from Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Gia Dinh Province, RVN. The crash occurred at 0022 hours when the gunship, radio call sign Shadow 78, and scheduled for a mission over the Ho Chi Minh trail, suffered a right engine failure at about 100 feet just as it was taking off. The aircraft rose, faltered, and did not gain altitude. The crew struggled to keep the plane airborne, but it crashed in a dry rice paddy about two miles beyond the end of the runway. The right wing hit a tree and it exploded in flames. Six of the eight men on board were killed in the crash. The lost crewmen included aircraft commander 1LT Thomas L. Lubbers, co-pilot 1LT Charles M. Knowles, navigator/NOS (Night Observation Sight Operator) MAJ Meredith G. Anderson, flight engineer MSGT Joseph C. Jeszeck, and aerial gunners SSGT Robert F. Fage Jr. and SGT Michael J. Vangelisti. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, ac-119gunships.com, and 46thars.tripod.com]

Remembering you on this Memorial Day