THE WALL OF FACES

Captain Alvin James Dimond, Served with the 310th Air Commando Squadron, 315th Air Commando Group, 13th Air Force.

My Dad, Sgt. Ken James, met Al back in the early 1950s while he was stationed in the Army at Ft. Benning, GA. My Dad told me Al switched over to the Air Force and was subsequently killed in Vietnam. In 2014, my Dad took his STL Honor Flight to Washington, D. C. He wanted to make sure and visit his friend and fellow serviceman, Al Dimond, at the Vietnam Wall MemoriaL. I will never forget watching my dad, sitting in his wheelchair, quietly reflecting on his friendship with Al. That image of my Dad’s love and heartbreak for Al will forever be seared in my mind. RIP Cpt. Dimond.

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Capt Dimond, I was in class 65-09 at James Connally AFB, Waco, Texas. You were one of our instructors - someone we all admired a lot. We mourned your loss from our location at Mather AFB, Sacramento, California, during our follow-on Navigatior-Bombardier Training in 1965. I went on to fly B-52s and F-4 Phantom Fighters. You will never be forgotten. Blessings to your family. -- Lloyd Bryant, Dayton, Ohio.

Dear Captain Alvin Dimond,
Thank you for your service as a Navigator. Memorial Day is coming up, and we remember all you who gave their all. It has been too long, and it's about time for us all to acknowledge the sacrifices of those like you who answered our nation's call. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.