THE WALL OF FACES

Write to people you love. Tell them you love them even if they have passed away. Im Lisa Blount Neice of the late fiance of this man Jane Marylyn Davis. I was born 1959 Im 63. The only time in my life I heard something that actually was not playing was when I was fourteen or fifteen at my Aunt Jane's house where she lived with her deceased fiance's best friend David Brinko who my Aunt had married since she could not marry John, this brave enlistee to this war who had hoped to marry my Aunt. I had met John once before he enlisted. I was a child of five or so. At fourteen I heard a record playing that was not playing. I thought it very strange. So i tried to imagine it playing in the middle and it did. Then at the end and it did. Weird I thought. No matter the point i imagined it to play, it would play. That's how I knew it was not actually playing but I was still hearing it kinda loud and super clear. It was tge Bee Gees. "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart." This never happened again. But so strange id often looked back on it wondering what all that was about. I think I do know and actually came to know what it was about. It was John. My Aunt had become a drinker She had thought of John often. And I was with her all day the day she got word of his death and she played "only three for the green beret" over and over all day long with a stoic and stone face look of grief sort of also indignation and anger Shed gotten a long Viet Name se dress he had bought for her prior to his passing and shed tried it on. but did not even want to try on anything she was so upset and i think he had made her beneficiary of some money the USA gave to honor the fallen and everybody was mad at her for that and wanted her to give it to them and she didn't But I do not think she ever got over that. Not really. I have decided it was John sending me this song about how do you mend HER broken heart. I did mend it. once I woke up at three or four AM when my Aunt was in her forties worried about her. I wrote to her a letter immediately In the letter I told her a number of things. Most of allregarding her alcohol I told her this: I am certain of one thing. You love your kids . You love me. You just have had a very very rough time and that rough time is not all your fault. Despite all of it. You've done a good job in my opinion loving your kids. And me. Everyone She had my letter on her whe she died with "Im so sorry" on her lips I miss her And thats how you mend a broken heart

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

Cu Chi Base Camp was a U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base in the Cu Chi District northwest of Saigon in southern Vietnam. The 25th Infantry Division had its headquarters at Cu Chi from January 1966 until February 1970. The camp was located south of the Viet Cong stronghold known as the Iron Triangle. U.S. intelligence indicated that the Viet Cong maintained headquarters and supply depots at the nearby Filhol Plantation, Ho Bo Woods and Boi Loi Woods. On the night of July 26-27, 1966, the Viet Cong launched 75mm recoilless rifle and 82mm mortar fire on Cu Chi. Many of the firing positions were located alongside the southern edge of the Filhol Plantation. During the attack, one of the mortar rounds deflected off the side of the 25th Administration Company’s postal office into a three-sided sandbagged bunker, killing two postal clerks and injuring five others. PFC John P. Hickey died after being hit in the head with metal fragments. SP4 Lawrence Raspberry also suffered a head wound and remained in a coma until his death in Alabama eleven months later on June 30, 1969. All serious casualties were carried by base vehicles to the medical dispensary and medivacked. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Wendell Myers (July 2020)]

John I was watching the Memorial Day Concert on PBS earlier today, and when a scene of a military funeral was shown at the folding of the flag I had a flashback of your funeral. I was shipping out to Vietnam the next month I felt your presence that day giving me a measure of courage. I had no tears that day but I cry in sadness remembering you today. My friend you touched my heart when we hung together, you had that gift of touching others hearts, many of us miss you. Thank you for your service brother.

Dear PFC John Hickey, Thank you for your service as a Postal Clerk. It was just Memorial Day when we honor you. I could not post then because this site was overwhelmed. Please watch over the USA, it still needs your courage. Rest in peace with the angels.