THE WALL OF FACES

May those who served never be forgotten. Rest in peace 1LT. De Palma, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Hi Tom ,RIP…when I went to Vietnam in 1970 , I new of what happened to you and I want your family to know and you of course,that you were a great drill instructor and good friend. Being Italian , I always felt we had that connection and always knew that every drill meet was going to be great thanks to your leadership. You were tough but fair. Always think about you and while you are up in heaven you can now pray for me. John DeMarco , PC Class 1969,USArmy .1st Vietnam 70-71.

Hey Grandpa, I never knew you, but I am told by my mother that I look like you and bare many of the same hobbies and interests. I went into the CAP in your spirit those , flew even, a C-172, though not a birdog like you. I wasn't healthy enough for service but I did the next best thing I could. Even though it scared the hell out of me I tried to fly like you did. Can't imagine doing that under fire, was terrifying enough just doing soft banks.

I didn't get to know you but I got to know the mother of your child, she is a great and loving grandmother who ended up with a great and loving man, a classic Italian and a good father. Her daughter, your daughter grew up to be a bright and caring young woman. She makes for a great mother, raised us as best she could and made sure we needed for nothing and wanted for little. She ended up with a good man, one who even got some of your materials.

I got to meet some of your comrades, Leonard Charbeneau in particular. He was a great guy, made a good impression and treated me and my brother well.

You are survived by two boys, myself and my brother Thomas. We got into college, I just got my MA and he my BA. I'm nothing special, but Its said that I hold many of the same hobbies you did. My brother on the other hand, he is something else, medically minded and smart as all getout. Kind of matches the picture as well.

I hope wherever you are you are proud of what little we could put forward. Your sacrifice in service is not in vain at least to us. We got to see our own Vietnam in our life time, 20 years in Afghanistan, but regardless of the outcome the service is what matters.

Thank you, for being an inspiration to be a better person, for your service, and for your daughter.

God keep you wherever you are, and God Bless the Republic.
A living heir, Cameron Scott Bowie, son of Lorinda Bowie, daughter of Cheryl Depalma, the mother of your daughter.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your high school friend Gaele Shea Anderson is touching. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

Them came into our unit, the 74th Recon Airplane Company, a few months before I left. I was flying all night missions and gave Thom his night orientation briefing and night orientation flight. He then flew with me on a night mission and, on another night, I flew in the back seat on his first night mission. We got to know each other pretty well. At night on 05/22/69, he was coming in to land at Phu Loi when the tower told him to do a 360 degree turn and set his approach up behind another plane coming in to land that had a “VIP” on board. While Thom was making his 360 degree turn so a “VIP” could land, he was shot down.