THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Cpl Larry Newburn, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. You are still MIA. Please come home. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It’s a New Year, but not necessarily better. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Be at peace.

I found a memorial bracelet today going through some of my stuff today and I have been looking for the bracelet for a long time. I decided to look up the name on it and read his story. We will not forget Corporal Larry S. Newburn and I am going to spread his memory and wear this bracelet for as long as I can in his honor. I hope if I ever have kids I will be able to pass down this bracelet when they are old enough to keep his memory alive. Thank you for your service, CPL.

My name is John DeVeau. I served 14 years in the Army and have wore Larry's bracket since 1989.

I am the keynote speaker this year for our POW/MIA day ceremony here in Caribou, Maine and will be speaking about the sacrifices that Larry and many others made.

I hope you know that there are those of us who will never forget the sacrifices made by so many.

SSG Frank J. DeMarco and PFC Larry S. Newburn were infantrymen serving in Recon Platoon, E Company, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. At approximately 2:30 PM on August 29, 1967, their unit was crossing a river about five miles east of the city of Di An in Bien Hoa Province, RVN, when the raft they were using tipped over. DeMarco reportedly was a swimmer and Newburn not, however, neither man was able to swim ashore. Search efforts began immediately and for two and half hours both banks of the river for 800-1000 meters were scoured for the lost men. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and their American advisors supplied seven divers and three sampans with fish nets to assist in the search; however, no bodies were located. On August 31, 1967, a body was found by Reconnaissance Platoon, 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry assisted by the 15th Engineer Battalion. The remains were identified as those of DeMarco. Newburn continued to be carried as Missing in Action. His remains have not been located. Newburn was promoted to Corporal during the time he was missing. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and pownetwork.org]

I was finally able to get a replacement MIA POW bracelet if the one I had since I was a kid. It is Larry S. Newbury. I am sorry for you loss, but greatful for his sacrifice.