THE WALL OF FACES

Great sadness fills our hearts today
As pipes and drums, in slow march play.
A comrade’s fallen by the way,
And now we say goodbye.

This hero to the very end
Was more than just a casual friend,
Who would a stranger’s life defend,
And now we say goodbye

But we shall cherish, all our days,
The character this life portrayed
With sacrifice so freely made,
And now we say goodbye.

The hand salute, o’er Stars and Stripes,
And distant skirl of highland pipes,
Bid last farewell with hero’s rights,
And now we say goodbye.

While here on Earth, you gave your best.
Now in the Master’s arms you rest.
T’is by your memory we are blessed.
And now we say goodbye.

Spent many days down on the Bayou with Danny, we had some Wild and Great times in our little Bayou town.....many nights camping in the woods out by my Grandfathers and then both of us became Marines....Didn't even know it but we where in the same AO at the same time.....I made it back in September and Brother you caught the Angle Flight in October.....Damn, I think of You a lot........You was a Righteous Cat! Semper Fi Bro'

Dear PFC Daniel Winters, Thank you for your service as a Rifleman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Valentine's Day is soon. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance, and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

PFC Daniel E. Winters was a rifleman serving with E Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. In September 1968, the 1st Recon Marines were located at Da Nang in Quang Nam Province, RVN. Their primary mission was reconnaissance and surveillance operations including bomb damage assessment in the jungle wilderness west of Da Nang. They searched for Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troop movement and arms infiltration and were prepared to call artillery or air strikes on any targets of opportunity. When not in the field, the Marines could be tasked with more mundane duties, such as clearing brush around the battalion command post area. Two days after his last mission on September 26th, that is precisely what Winters was doing when the weed burning mission went tragically wrong. Reportedly, he was critically burned and evacuated to the U.S. Army’s burn center at the 106th General Hospital in Yokohama, Japan. While being treated, infection set in, and Winters expired October 8, 1968. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Command Chronology (1st Recon Bn), September 1968” at ttu.edu; obituary from the Beaumont Journal (Beaumont, TX), October 10, 1968, courtesy of Brett Derbes, Texas State Historical Association, Austin, TX]

i went to school with Danny for several years. He always came to my birthday parties, he was so cute! He was a kind and soft spoken guy with a personality that made you smile. I will always remember Danny and how he gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Till we meet again in Heaven, I salute you Sir.