THE WALL OF FACES

During June 1970, the 1st Engineer Battalion provided general support to the 1st Marine Division and other III Marine Amphibious Force units in the Da Nang area of Quang Nam Province, RVN. The engineers conducted road mine sweeps, performed earthen work at Marine outposts, and carried out construction and drainage projects throughout their area of responsibility. On the afternoon of June 15, 1970, an A Company combat engineer was fatally injured in an accidental discharge incident in his unit’s barracks at an undisclosed location near Da Nang. At 2:30 PM, LCpl Robert M. Kuner Jr. sustained gunshot wounds to the upper left side of his back after another Marine inadvertently fired an M16 rifle. Kuner was 20 years old. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]

If anyone was with Robert Martin Kuner Jr on June 15th 1970, please get in touch with me. [email protected]. ty

The following is a recap of a friendly discussion in the kitchen of Chub and Sandy “Dolly” (Kuner) James overlooking the back yard with its bubbling creek and serene woods. Some details come from a story written by Eric Poole for the Ellwood City Ledger on Monday, June 29, 2009.

October 1951, Robert Kuner Sr. and Lena May Kuner brought home their second child, a daughter Sandy Kuner, from the hospital. Their first child, Robert “Punky” Kuner two years older, kept repeating, ‘My Doll, My Doll.” Thus, the nickname Sandy “Dolly” Kuner began.

From that day on, a beautiful relationship was formed. An older brother who loved and cared for his younger sister and a sister who loved and admired her protective older brother. This mutual love and admiration can be seen in the December 1957 photo of Punky and Sandy in front of their fireplace, with Punky holding the family puppy. Sandy added, “everybody loved Punky . . . . he loved me and he took care of me.”

Sandy said Punky earned his nickname early in his life as when he was born, he had a pumpkin shaped head. His parents affectionally nicknamed him “Punky.” The name stuck and many of his friends and acquaintances never knew his real first name.

Punky was a good student and a very good dancer, who despite never taking lessons, had “the moves” on the dance floor. Sandy’s husband, Chubb and Sandy both have fond memories of his MG. An awesome sports car.

Punky was a member of the Junior Hi-Y Club, which provided Christian recreation and fellowship boys in the Junior High School.

A dominant runner at Riverside High School as he set all kind of records in the 400 and 800 meters, many that stand to this day. To maintain his legacy the Punky Kuner Award is awarded annually to a varsity letterman in track and field, who is an outstanding track and field athlete who works hard and possesses good character. Sandy has a photo of the 2018 winner Air Kendra with Dan Demeter and Sandy “Dolly” James that was taken on May 29, 2018 exactly 50 years to the day that good friend Dan and Punky graduated.

A strong athlete, Punky was a well-known member of the Varsity “R” Club.

After graduation Punky worked at the Darling Brick yard for about one year. Using his running skills, he would sometimes park the car and run the distance from his home to work and back.

Punky’s love for others continued into the next Kuner generation. Sandy’s had a child in 1967 named Bobby. Sandy lived up the road from her parents and Punky would come over every day and massage lotion into the young child’s legs in the hope he may one day follow Punky onto the track.

Punky got married to Patty in October and was in Vietnam by January. He and Patty never had any children.

Punky enlisted in the Marines. Why did he choose the marines, I am not sure, added Sandy? My one half-brother was a marine, maybe because of that.

While Punky was in Vietnam Ken Martin, a fellow 1968 Riverside graduate was also serving as a Marine in Vietnam. Martin was injured and brought to Punky’s base. Martin sent a photo to Dolly after he saw her posting on the Virtual Vietnam Memorial Faces on the Wall web site.

Lance Cpl Robert “Punky” Kuner was killed on June 15, 1970. One year from the day he enlisted.

The facts behind his death are still not known to this day. At first, Sandy was told someone in the barracks was cleaning his gun and it went off accidentally. She asked, isn’t a Marine always taught to empty his gun before cleaning. Then she was told he got in an altercation with another marine who pulled a gun and shot him. To this day Sandy does not know the real story of his death which the military classified as “accidental homicide.”

The file on Punky’s death was closed for a 50-year period, which expired in June 2020. Sandy then asked for and received some of his records, including the list of people who bunked with him in his barracks. She was hoping to talk with the other soldiers to find out the real story. However, all of the possible contact information for his fellow soldiers was blacked out!

She is still being stonewalled by the military with the true story of what happened on that day, June 15, 1970.

The older, loving protective brother with the younger loving and admiring sister. This relationship continues to this day; However, since Punky has left this world, the love Sandy has for her brother can only be felt in her memories and her broken heart. Sandy looks forward to the day she is once again reunited with the young man she so loves and admires.

He saved me from a debilitating spinal cord injury or my life when I fell from a swing as a child. I still see him running across the grass with his arms outstretched and catching me ten inches from the ground as I was felling head first. Gone but not forgotten.

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.