THE WALL OF FACES

Sergeant First Class Gene Wallace Stockman, Served with Task Force 1 Advisory Element (TF-1 AE), Command and Control North (CCN), Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG), 5th Special Forces Group, United States Army Vietnam.

SFC Gene W. Stockman served with Task Force 1 Advisory Element, Command and Control North (CCN), MACV-SOG. On October 29, 1971, he died from and accidental shooting. The following account is provided by Richard Whitmanh: “(He) was killed in an accidental shooting with my .25 caliber Browning pocket pistol. I was on leave at the time and Gene had asked me to let him keep my pistol safe while I was gone. He went drinking somewhere one night and was shot in the gut, right through the artery that splits and becomes the femoral arteries in the legs.” [Taken from macvsog.cc and virtualwall.org]

Dear SFC Gene Wallace Stockman, sir

As an American, 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. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

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

Curt Carter

He loved us so.

Every day, in a hundred ways, he told us so.

In honesty, in affection, he told us so.

He loved us so.

Every day, in a hundred weays, he showed us so.

With loyalty and bravery, he showed us so.

He was our defender, and he kept us free!

He took an oath to guard us, and fought for liberty!

He loved us so, and we should knopw.

For we loved him so.

Sergeant Stockman, you had given all that mortality can give! You had been there and done that in Vietnam! You were one brave man who did brave deeds for our America! You were one of Pittsburgh's...and America's...bravest of heroes, who fought for the right, without question or pause! Your name and fame are the birthright of EVERY American citizen! In your youth and strength...your love and loyalty...you had given all to defend liberty everywhere! You had brought honor to Pittsburgh, the home of heroes BRAVE AND TRUE!...yes, to the city where three rivers meet...to the home of the BUCS and the STEELERS! You had lived up to the code of conduct and chivalry of those who guard this beloved land...an ideal SO NOBLE that it arouses in all of us a sense of pride, and yet, of humility! I strongly and honestly believe that Jill Corey, whom Avonmore (her home town) and Pittsburgh (where she got her start) can claima as one of their own, and whom I greatly qadmire as ojne of my three top favorite songbirds of all timne, which includes Julie Andrews, England's grande dame of music, and another thrush from England, London's Dusty Springfield, who passed on some years ago, would be very proud of your service to America, and the sacrifices made by you to keep out country free! Well done, Sergeant! Be thou at peace. ARMY STRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On this your angel day I humbly give thanks for your service and sacrifice and with honor I leave you this poem . . .

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

~Author Unknown