THE WALL OF FACES

FOREVER REMEMBERED

"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you....and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.....Be not ashamed to say you loved them....
Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own....And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind...."

Quote from a letter home by Maj. Michael Davis O'Donnell
KIA 24 March 1970. Distinguished Flying Cross: Shot down and Killed while attempting to rescue 8 fellow soldiers surrounded by attacking enemy forces.

We Nam Brothers pause to give a backward glance, and post this remembrance to you, one of the gentle heroes lost to the War in Vietnam:

Slip off that pack. Set it down by the crooked trail. Drop your steel pot alongside. Shed those magazine-ladened bandoliers away from your sweat-soaked shirt. Lay that silent weapon down and step out of the heat. Feel the soothing cool breeze right down to your soul ... and rest forever in the shade of our love, brother.

From your Nam-Band-Of-Brothers

I will never forget Clarence Washington. He was a most special Marine. A true friend and a Marine in every sense of the word. I have so many special stories about Clarence. We were both with Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. I first met Clarence on Hill 54 in January of 1967. He was likeable from the 1st day we met. I remember him as being tall, straight and very proud. He would do anything to help someone out.

A few special things that I remember about Clarence took place while on Operation Union - during April and May of 1967. We had started on this operation in early April from Hill 54. The operation seemed to go on forever. After several weeks, many of us were in pretty poor conidition, feet problems from being wet, very weak, etc. It was not uncommon to see Clarence carrying one or two extra backpacks belonging to people who were too weak to carry them themselves. They didn't ask Clarence to carry them. Clarence would see that they were having trouble and would just take the packs from them. This was an everyday occurance.

One time we stopped for a break and I noticed him removing his boots. Not an uncommon thing to do when we knew we had a few minutes. I noticed right away that his socks were blood soaked. He slowly removed them one by one and I could see that the bottoms of both feet looked like raw hamburger. Not much a person could do when your feet were in that bad of shape.

Normally we had only a couple pairs of socks. We had been in the field so long that most of us only had one pair. This was the case with him. He put the same socks back on. Put his boots back on and tied them. It was time to move out. He put on his pack and picked up the 2 extra ones he was carrying that day - and away we went. He had not known that anyone had seen his feet. He said nothing. It was time to move out.

There were people being medivaced from the field with feet problems - he could have easily gone. Not a word from him. He was there with the rest of us. No complaints. This is the way he was.

Those of us that knew him will never ever forget him. He truly was a hero to all of us that knew him. He died a hero on Hill 110 that 10th of May in 1967. Charlie Company fought a hell of a fight that day and it was because of people like Clarence Washington - real Marines.

He will be remembered as long as I live.