THE WALL OF FACES

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

Mary Frye – 1932

SP5 James Leland Scroggins - Information Request

SP/5 James (Jim) Leland Scroggins was my only older brother. It has now been almost three decades since his death and I am nearly twice his age at death. There have been many changes not the least include the maturing of his two daughters, Theresa Renee LaRose (Scroggins) and Tracie Anne Jones (Scroggins), into beautiful, successful women. Jim has always remained a presence in the home where the girls were raised and their contact with their grandparents, even after Aurelia's remarriage to Daniel Dothager, was a vital family connection. As a 'common' man from the heartland of America, Jim served only his God, Country and family - he never sought attention to himself and was, in that regard, a perfect soldier. Certainly time has a way of diminishing the negatives and expanding the positives, but that is at it should be. Any older brother should be held in high regard as I do mine. Since we were less than two years apart in age, he was forced to deal with a tag-along most of his years at home. And, as the younger, it was my duty to show Jim and the rest of my family that I was the better, though younger Scroggins kid. How trivial that all now seems. The purpose of this page is to seek information about Jim's time in the service and more particularly, his time in Viet Nam in 1972-73. He was KIA on 23Feb, 1973 following a crash-landing of his CH-47 on 16Feb near An Loc. Jim was the acting Flight Engineer for a supply mission for the peacekeeping forces following the signing of the cease-fire. His copter was a backup unit pressed into service from Can Tho base when the original Chinook was pulled out of service due to a hydraulic leak. Jim's copter took a SAM hit and crash-landed in flames. He was thrown into the fire and rescued by one of the pilots, but died later in Okinawa due to complications from his injuries. Since he was one of the last soldiers killed, and reportedly the last Illinois soldier killed, his name is near the center of the wall on panel 01W, line 116. If you have any information regarding Jim's career or more specifically, were involved in his final mission, please contact me at [email protected] or his sister, Beverly at [email protected]. We have long-since dealt with the grief, but there are now grandchildren that deserve to know more of their heritage and heroes.