THE WALL OF FACES

SN Dudley C. Hughes Jr. was a Seaman serving with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 10 (NMCB-10), 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam. On the morning of December 23, 1967, Hughes was in a Naval Support office at Dong Ha Combat Base, one kilometer southeast of Dong Ha in Quang Tri Province, RVN. At approximately 9:00 AM, he suddenly slumped over his desk unconscious without warning. Medical corpsmen were summoned who determined Hughes had stopped breathing and had no heartbeat. Attempts to resuscitate him failed, and he was transferred to Delta Medical Company, Third Medical Battalion at Dong Ha where staff pronounced him dead on arrival at 9:30 AM. Hughes had reportedly been in good health without any complaints. Postmortem studies were conducted to determine the cause of death; however, the results of those studies have not been made available by the Navy for public inspection. Hughes was 21 years old. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Cleveland Seaman Died Saturday in Vietnam.” Publication and date unknown]

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Never forgotten.

Semper Fortis

Dear SN Dudley Hughes, Thank you for your service as a Seaman. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

Dear Sn Dudley Carroll Hughes Jr, Sir

As a fellow North Carolinian, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter (son of Sgt. Ardon William Carter, 101st Airborne, February 4, 1966, South Vietnam)