THE WALL OF FACES

Dear PFC John Rudolph Cummins Jr, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter

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PFC John Rudolph Cummins, Jr. was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Roswell, New Mexico on October 18, 1946. He was the second child and proud first son of Mrs. Willie Lavender Cummins of Braggs, Alabama and Mr. John Rudolph Cummins, Sr. of Lake Arthur, New Mexico.



Rudy Jr., as he was fondly called by his family, was a handsome, kind, and gentle young man. He was a cub scout and boy scout who was an avid reader of westerns, military history, and war stories. He loved to camp and fish and spend tie with his family and friends both in Alabama and New Mexico. He broke his arm two different times when he was growing up. Once when he was a little boy during the summertime in Braggs, Alabama when he fell off an auto car pit at his grandparents home. Again when he was thirteen and he fell off the back bumper of a moving car when his sisters boyfriend was pulling away. A hard lesson to learn.



Rudy attended Roswell, Gallup, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque schools and graduated from Roswell High School in May 1964. After graduation he became a plumbers apprentice and worked for Rhoades plumbing and heating in Roswell for one year before attending New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico.



When the draft board pressured him he withdrew from NMSU after one semester and enlisted in the US Army to become a paratrooper. He received his basic training at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas and his parachute training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was attached to the “Big Horse” First Cavalry101st Airborne Division. After coming home to Roswell, New Mexico for a 21 day leave to spend time with his family, friends, his beloved VW pickup trick, and black Hillman convertible he was deployed to Vietnam. He spent three weeks there having only enough time to write one letter describing the beauty of the rice fields and the sunset to his grandmother, Mrs. Nimmie Hazel Cummins of Roswell, New Mexico.



On September 16, 1966 he was on a search and seek mission for a downed plane near An Chi, Vietnam when he encountered a boobie trapped wing. God bless the fallen soldier. He was 19. Life truly is…”but a moment.”



He is sorely missed by his entire family in Alabama, Texas, and New Mexico; his parents, his brother Ernest Terrance Cummins of Roswell, New Mexico, and his sister Mettie Pauline Lavender Cummins of Bakersfield, California. We never forget, we love him so, and we always remember his beautiful smile.