THE WALL OF FACES

Private First Class Wallis Warren Garst, Served with Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever….

Dear PFC Walis Garst,
Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Your 49th anniversary is this week, sad. Happy Veterans' Day. 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.

I was just a little over 1 year old when Walis lost his life for our country, but my father, Bruce West, told me about his courage and short service in Vietnam. My father grew up very close to Walis Garst and his family in Wyoming.

We were living in Annapolis, Maryland when he told me he had visited the new Vietnam Memorial and had found Walis' name on it. I believe I was in my 20's then, when he told me about seeing it....and touching it. The way Dad talked about it, just made me feel like he had just touched a person, not a cold wall.

I never knew Walis, of course, but he is a cousin of mine and my father's, who is also now deceased.

My family, the West's, of Crook County, Wyoming always spoke very highly of the Garst's and obviously Walis Garst was no exception.

My father escaped the draft and Vietnam due to illness and, as I understand it, obligations to supporting my Dad's family of 6 children. My Dad was the oldest son and very ill at the time, could not possibly have made it through Vietnam and its extreme physical challenges of the time.

I consider myself very lucky that my father was not drafted, but am very sorry that our cousin, Walis Garst, was forced into service in Vietnam and shortly thereafter, lost his life like so many others.

However, I do thank God that Walis only suffered a few months of service in Vietnam. I am very grateful he was taken gracefully, and if it was truly God's will that he lose his life in the line of service for our country, that he lost it quickly and only suffered a short time fighting such an awful battle in Vietnam.

Thank you, dear cousin, for your service to our country! We are faithful that you stood up like a man and served our country well in the line of duty!
I am very proud to be your cousin and to know that you, Walis Garst, died honorably while protecting our family and friends from harm!

I only wish I could have met you, just once, Walis Garst.

I never knew my Uncle Wally, only heard stories about him. I did grow up with his daughter, my cousin Carmen. You see my Uncle Wally died November 19, 1969, and I was born November 28, 1969. It wasn't until close to the end of her life that my mom told me one last story. It was the story of when I was born, I was born the day my family found out that my Uncle Wally, and my oldest brother were missing. If I had been a boy my name would be Wally Gene, as a matter of fact it took my mother two weeks to finally come up with another name for the girl she had. My brother came back, but my uncle did not. He's the Uncle I Never Knew.