THE WALL OF FACES

I think of Joe often. I met him on May 4, 1966, my first day in country. He introduced me to people and showed me the ropes. A couple months later his tour was finished, and he was headed stateside, but volunteered to stay overseas. I met him again on Okinawa, where I spent a few weeks in December. I was standing in a line waiting for something, when I heard him call my name. He took me to Camp Hansen, where he was stationed and arranged for me to be temporarily attached to his unit. For six weeks we spent a lot of nights in town, having way too much fun. At the end of my six weeks, he was re-assigned to the 26th Marines, heading back to Nam, I returned to my unit also, where I ran into him two more times when his Landing Force took part in operations in our area near the DMZ. On May 17, 1967, at one p.m., standing in line to board a plane home, we, lots of men who knew him, learned he had been killed by a mortar two days earlier at Con Thien. No one spoke for the next two hours while we waited. I think of him often.

Just as impactful as the first time we visited you in 2000. Your second cousin Danielle Campos Savedra Escalera is my wife. Thank you for your service! We live in the Bay Area but visit Familia in La Puente all the time !!!

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. Rest in eternal peace.

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Thank you for stepping up and answering your country's call. Rest easy knowing you will never be forgotten.

DEAR PFC ARREGUIN,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A MARINE PRESS INFORMATION MAN. SEMPER FI AND REST IN PEACE.