THE WALL OF FACES

Dear PFC James Nelson Clark, 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, Sir

Curt Carter

Dear James Nelson Clark,

I would like to say thank you for serving as not only being a soldier but for being a hero for the U.S. Even though I don’t know you personally, I am strongly sure that you have died in honor. You made your friends and relatives so proud of what you did out there. (I am positive they are) Although you are greatly miss, you have made a mark in this country that no one will ever forget. For serving your country was the bravest thing anyone could have done. Not only that but your comrades during the battle were also strong willed and brave just like you. Thank you… so much. May you rest in peace.

- Student From Budlong

I served with James for 8and 1/2 months together in nam 11bravo 4/23rd 25th infantry Engineers up north also with Mccloud

I miss you very much brother and if you were here we would be having a blast in Lansing Mi. May 7th 2014.

“God must have wanted Jim for another purpose” wrote a friend of PFC James N. Clark whom he met in Detroit and whom he saw die from a Viet Cong bullet outside of Saigon.
The letter written to Clark’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Clark, 23079 Shakespeare, was authored by a soldier who James met at a motorcycle club meeting in Detroit and served together in Vietnam, with the 23rd Infantry Division.
The letter continued to say “Jim had done a very brave thing” and everything possible had been done to save his life but that “God wanted him for another purpose.”
Legally Clark became an adult May 28 but the privileges and the responsibilities that accompanied his 21st birthday had lasted less than two weeks.
Just 12 days after his birthday, Clark was killed June 9 while on patrol just outside the city limits of Saigon.
His letters home to his family were of mixed emotion, according to his brother Charles. “He was not in favor of the war and he didn’t want to be drafted, but he went. “But in his last letter home Clark said, “he was very vehement about stopping the bombing of North Vietnam because he felt a lot more GI’s would die.” James Clark graduated from East Detroit High School in January 1968 and was employed by Jones and Laughlin Steel Co. before being drafted in July 1968.
He received his basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., and his advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, La.
Clark was sent to Vietnam in December where he was assigned to a combat engineers unit operating near the demilitarized zone. He was transferred to the 23rd infantry Unit in Saigon shortly before his death.