THE WALL OF FACES

Corporal Kenneth Walter Gonder, Served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrances from those who knew you in college are touching and reflect their admiration and respect for you. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

I never knew you, but I want you to know that your life's sacrifice was not in vain. Offering my respect and gratitude as I touched your name on the Wall in Punta Gorda, I now hope that you and your loved ones rest well.

I knew Kenny very well in College at Wilkes. (Goose was his nickname...probably beause of the last name Gonder.) We were both on the 3rd floor of the New Mens Dorm in 1966, 67 and beyond. I was in room 318 and I believe his was room 316 (next door) and his roomate was Alfred ? from Conn. Goose had the greatest record collection and the best stereo of all of us, and he was very into his music ....some of it was very abscure, but extremely vast. He was somewhat quiet, but had a very subtle and great sense of humor. He finished at Wilkes in the class of 69 and I was the class of 70, but we socialized frequently. I'll never forget the day that we heard he was killed. I was going to be married on May 23, 1970, and all of us in the dorm were rowdly planning the bachlor party, etc. We heard the news on the evening of the 20th or the 21st, and we all were deeply saddened and the previous somewhat festive mood turned very serious. He was well liked in college and whenever you wanted to borrow an album he never said no. The wing of the New Men's Dorm was a very close knit group and Goose was an intregal part of it. As an unfortunate side note, the room across the hall from both of our rooms was that of Roger Spence, and he was also killed in Vietnam. Kenny is not forgotten.

I knew Kenny very well in College at Wilkes. (Goose was his nickname...probably beause of the last name Gonder.) We were both on the 3rd floor of the New Mens Dorm in 1966, 67 and beyond. I was in room 318 and I believe his was room 316 (next door) and his roomate was Alfred ? from Conn. Goose had the greatest record collection and the best stereo of all of us, and he was very into his music ....some of it was very abscure, but extremely vast. He was somewhat quiet, but had a very subtle and great sense of humor. He finished at Wilkes in the class of 69 and I was the class of 70, but we socialized frequently. I'll never forget the day that we heard he was killed. I was going to be married on May 23, 1970, and all of us in the dorm were rowdly planning the bachlor party, etc. We heard the news on the evening of the 20th or the 21st, and we all were deeply saddened and the previous somewhat festive mood turned very serious. He was well liked in college and whenever you wanted to borrow an album he never said no. The wing of the New Men's Dorm was a very close knit group and Goose was an intregal part of it. As an unfortunate side note, the room across the hall from both of our rooms was that of Roger Spence, and he was also killed in Vietnam. Kenny is not forgotten.