THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Sgt Thomas Willard, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Your 74th birthday just passed, happy birthday. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Happy New Year. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance, and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

A big brown box was always there at the back of my mother's closet. Never opened, never talked about, but always there. It moved with her from the family home in NH to her new small home in Florida. (Excerpt from Axisoftlogic 2003).

Your big sister thinks of you and Chris virtually every day.

On this Vietnam War Veterans Day I remember you Tom. We met in either basic training or advanced training. As we waited to go to San Francisco to head to Vietnam together we became friends and rode motorcycles together before reporting. We were born two months apart, I was Oct. 1948 and you Dec. 1948. I wish we had met sooner as we got along great for just meeting each other. I was from Rochester and you Farmington. I remember we both were supposed to report the same day in California and for some reason you reported after I flew to Vietnam so we never met up again. I see your name on the marker at the Rochester Commons when we have a Memorial Day Veterans gathering. Rest In piece brother soldier.

Tom was a best friend to my husband back in the 1960s, and we knew his family members mourned the loss of their son/brother every day. Tom was a FHS athlete, a wonderful young man and beloved by his Catholic Community. I was honored to submit his photo, after locating this website.