THE WALL OF FACES

James is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Steele,ND. SS AM12 OLC PH

An American Soldier…..

You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door,

Hey, I'm solid, I'm steady, I'm true down to the core,

And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price,

I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice,

And I don't want to die for you, But if dying's asked of me,

I'll bear that cross with honor, 'Cause freedom don't come free.

I'm an American Soldier, an American,

Beside my Brothers and my Sisters I will proudly take a stand.

When liberty's in jeopardy I'll always do what's right.

I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight.

Rest in Peace, dear Hero. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Job well done.

(excerpt from Toby Keith’s song)

Jimmy was our paperboy and neighbor back in Bridgeville. I remember him well. I particularly remember the two of us sitting on another neighbor's steps reading a Justice League comic book. He was in junior high and I was in elementary school. Probably around 1962-64. He was 8 years older than me. I went to his funeral in Bridgeville. I was very sad when I heard the news.

It doesn't take much for me to think of you, it can be a line in a book, a show on the History Channel, a scene in a movie or a verse of a song. The most recent item has been the Justin Moore song 'If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away' and the lyric that really gets me is always the same one about his cousin they left back in Vietnam. It is probably strange to some people because you and I have never met. I've been alive 29 years and I've spent each one of them with your sister (my mom) and the rest of your siblings. Growing up, whenever we'd gather as a family there would always be two missing, grandpa and you. I never met grandpa either but for some reason your absence has always been more noticeable for me, perhaps because lots of people have grandparents who aren't around but you are supposed to be here. You are supposed to be sitting around a kitchen table in a small town in North Dakota playing cards or out in the yard playing a family game of baseball. You are supposed to come visit us in all the various places we've been stationed and we're supposed to come see you at the same place each time, some permanent place that always feels like home to us no matter how many times we move. The bittersweet ironic part of that is you are in the same permanent place but it doesn't feel like home.

I hope you know that we love you and it helps to read the nice things people have to say about you on here and other sites. It helps that people remember. I'm glad there are kids in history classes who look up your story even if it is for a class project because I know that once they read the story they'll remember you too. We are rapidly approaching 43 years without you and yet your brothers and sisters still get emotional at the mention of your name- that is love :)

Thank you for all you did and now that our family gatherings are missing 4 I hope that you all are keeping each other company. We love and miss you every day.

James Kenneth McAleer was born on August 7, 1946 and grew up in the small town of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the army in 1966 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne. He served as a Warrant Officer in the United States Army, serving in the Lam Dong province of South Vietnam. He began his tour on December 8, 1967. James piloted a UH-1C helicopter, tail number 66-15119. He served in the 92nd Assault Helicopter Company Unit, 1st Aviation Brigade. On August 22, 1968, the helicopter took 9 hits from non-explosive ballistic projectiles from an automatic weapon. The accident caused a violent fire resulting in four casualties. At the tender age of 22, James died, along with his three other crew members: Captain Verlyn Gwen Meyer, SP5 David Ferry, and SP4 Patrick Edward Ward. His body was found and returned to his family for burial at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Steele, PA. McAleer’s dedication and ultimate sacrifice has transcended through generations. He will forever be remembered for his contributions to America's most controversial war.