THE WALL OF FACES

Your Shipmate's Of The USS FORRESTAL Association Will Never Forget You!

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....

In June 1967, the USS Forrestal departed Norfolk, VA, for duty in waters off Vietnam. In the Gulf of Tonkin on July 29th, the Forrestal had been launching aircraft from her flight deck. For four days, the planes of Attack Carrier Air Wing 17 had flown about 150 missions against targets in North Vietnam from the ship. At about 10:50 AM (local time), during preparation for another strike, a Zuni rocket installed on an F-4 Phantom misfired, impacting an armed A-4 Skyhawk parked on the port side. The rocket's force dislodged and ruptured the Skyhawk's 400-gallon external fuel tank. Fuel from the leaking tank caught fire, creating a conflagration that burned for hours, killing 134, injuring 161, destroying 21 aircraft and costing the Navy US$72 million. The lost crew and carrier air wing personnel included PR2 Marvin J. Adkins, SN Everett A. Allen, ATR3 Gary J. Ardeneaux, ADJ1 Toney A. Barnett, LT Dennis M. Barton, AMH2 Robert L. Bennett, AQF2 Mark R. Bishop, SN James L. Blaskis, AA William V. Brindle, AE3 Bobby J. Brown, AMS1 Jerry D. Byars, AE3 Francis Campeau, AQF3 Jack M. Carlan, AN Daniel G. Cavazos, SN Ray A. Chatelain, AN Richard D. Clendenen, SN William D. Collins, AN Robert B. Cotton, AMH2 James L. Crenshaw, AME2 Mario C. Crugnola Jr., AN Robert J. Davies, AO2 Thomas J. Dawson Jr, AE3 Jerold V. Despard, ADJ3 Edward R. Dorsey, ADJ3 Joseph G. Dugas, ADJ3 Paul A. Dupere, SN John S. Duplaga, SN Kenneth Dyke, AE1 Walter T. Eads, AO2 James A. Earick, ATN2 John T. Edwards, ABHC Gerald W. Farrier, FN Kenneth L. Fasth, AME1 John J. Fiedler, AN Russell L. Fike, ADJ1 Harold Fontenot, AN Johnnie L. Frazier, AN Gerald G. Fredrickson, AMS1 Herbert A. Frye, AN Ramon Garza, LT Robert E. Geller, ADJ3 Richard H. Gibson, AN Lawrence J. Gilbert, AMS3 William T. Gilroy, AMS3 Larry E. Grace, AE3 Russell A. Grazier, ATR3 Charles C. Gregory, SN William C. Hartgen, AN Robert L. Hasz, AN Richard A. Hatcher, AN William K. Hinckley Jr, DS2 Stephen L. Hock, AMH3 Larry D. Holley, AE2 Calvin D. Howison, AA Philip L. Hudson, AO3 Julius B. Hughes, WO Donald N. Hugo, AN Ralph W. Jacobs, ATR3 Donald W. Jedlicka, AN William B. Justin, AN Thomas M. Kane, AN Charles D. Kieser, AN Joseph Kosik, AME3 Edward L. La Barr, SN Wade A. Lannom Jr., AN William Lee, EM2 Robert C. Leonberg, AN John T. Lilla, AQF3 Arnold E. H. Lohse, AN Charles E. Long, AZ2 William E. Lowe, AMH3 Kenneth W. Lozier, AQF3 James S. MacVickar Jr., AN Ralph E. Manning, AMH2 Earle E. Mc Auliffe, AN Brian D. Mc Conahay, ADJ1 George C. Mc Donald, AO2 Frank C. Mc Nelis Jr, AMH3 William V. Mc Quade, AN Alan R. Metz,AN George D. Miller, AN Edward A. Mindyas, PR3 Hubert H. Morgan Jr, AE3 Leroy Moser, AN James E. Neumeyer, AE3 Gary E. Newby, AA James E. Newkirk, FN Ronald R. Ogrinc, AN Thomas D. Ott II, AN Wayne H. Ott, AMHC Richard L. Owens, AMH3 Richard T. Pinta, AO2 Raymond N. Plesh, AN John C. Pody III, AMH2 Ernest E. Polston, AN Douglas A. Post, AE3 Robert M. Priviech, ATN3 John M. Pruner, ABH3 Robert A. Rhuda, AN Charles R. Rich, AMS3 Jerry P. Rodgers, AME2 Dale R. Ross, AN James M. Runnels, AN Harvey D. Scofield, AO2 Joseph C. Shartzer, AMH3 William J. Shields, ABH3 Richard M. Sietz, AN David W. Smith, SN Richard T. Smith, AMS2 John F. Snow, AQ1 John C. Spiess, SN Nelson Everett Spitler, AO3 Johnny W. Spivey, LCDR Gerry L. Stark, AN Walter E. Steele, ADJ2 Wendell W. Stewart, AA Robert Allen Stickler, AN Kenneth D. Strain, ABH2 Robert Hatcher Swain, AN Delton E. Terry, YN3 Norman A. Thomas, AMH1 William F. Thompson, AE3 Richard J. Vallone, AN Robert J. Velasquez, AN Juan A. Velez, AN George E. Wall, AN Harold D. Watkins, AA Gregory L. Webb, AME3 Gerald A. Wehde, AQF3 Judson A. Wells Jr, ADJ3 Richard L. Wescott, AA Edward J. Wessels, LCDR Fred D. White, AN Kerry D. Wisdom, and AN Robert L. Zwerlein. [Taken from various web sources]

In Loving Memory of
GARY JAMES ARDENEAUX ATRB
Died on the U.S.S. Forrestal
July 29, 1967

This is your birthday, Gary dear,
Not as it used to be.
The gladness of the day id gone,
You are not here to see.
For you are in your lonely grave
And our tears are all in vain,
But oh how happy we would be
if we had you back again.
Sadly missed by THE FAMILY

Petty Officer Third Class Gary James Ardeneaux, Served with Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11), Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17), USS Forrestal, Task Force 77 (TF-77), 7th Fleet