THE WALL OF FACES

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

Landing Zone Crooks was a U.S. 1st Cavalry Division firebase established November 17, 1965, to provide artillery support during the Ia Drang Valley campaign, the first significant engagements between U.S. troops and North Vietnamese Army forces. On November 23rd, a faulty 81mm mortar round exploded approximately ten feet from its launch tube at Crooks. Thirteen U.S. personnel were injured, including four seriously. The casualties were evacuated to a Pleiku area hospital where two of the wounded, SGT Gunder P. R. Gunderson and PFC Richard E. George, succumbed to their wounds. On March 24, 1966, the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division held an “In memoriam” program for the fifteen men from the battalion who were lost during the period of November 3, 1965 to March 24, 1966. Gunderson and George were remembered during the ceremony. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and virtualwall.org]

Finder and I grew up together through grade school. Never close but always a friend. I’m remembering Gunder this Memorial Day. RIP

You are mentioned in the book. You are not forgotten.