THE WALL OF FACES

I have not forgotten you. I chair the Adoption Committee for The National League of Families of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action in Southeast Asia. We will always remember the 1,889 Americans still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia and the thousands of others that lost their lives. We will not stop our efforts until all of you are home where you belong.

We need to reach the next generation so that they will carry on when our generation is no longer able. To do so, we are attempting to locate photographs of all the missing. If you are reading this remembrance and have a photo and/or memory of this missing American that you would like to share for our project, please contact me at:

Candace Lokey
PO Box 206
Freeport, PA 16229
[email protected]

If you are not familiar with our organization, please visit our web site at :

www.pow-miafamilies.org

ON JULY 25, 2002 I FIRST CAME TO THIS WEB SITE LOOKING FOR A FRIEND THAT I KNEW MANY YEARS AGO AND WENT TO NAM AND NEVER RETURNED. I REMEMBERED I HAD 2 POW/MIA BRACELETS AND ONE WAS BEARING YOUR NAME. I POST THIS MAJOR TO YOU TO THANK YOU FOR SERVING AND GIVING YOUR LIFE FOR OUR COUNTRY. IF ANY FAMILY MEMBER READS THIS POSTING AND WISH TO HAVE THIS BRACLET (THE NAME CAN BEARLY BE READ ANYMORE) PLEASE CONTACT ME THRU MY E-MAIL
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MAJOR
GINA SMITH

Joe came into the 497th "Nite Owl" squadron and moved into the "hooch" (room) next to mine. I remember him as a kind of "rough and ready" guy with a quick smile and a great sense of humor. As one of the few navigators flying in the back seat of the F-4 in those years, he was the kind of guy you wanted to have in your squadron and on your wing. Joe was crewed with my roommate, Doug LeFever, who also was a recent arrival and a good pilot. Shortly after his arrival I went on leave and just a few days before I returned, both Joe and Doug went MIA. I still have the squadron picture with him sitting on the cockpit railing, smiling.

Your name on the bracelet I wear reminds me of the ultimate sacrifice you and many others made. I could only pray that I serve the Air Force and my country as proudly and as well as those that have served before me. Godspeed, Major.

You are not forgotten Joseph