Traveling through Gainesville, Florida recently, I observed a military
memorial beside the highway. As is my nature, I stopped at the memorial to photograph and
to pay my respects to veterans.
The memorial honors the 136 veterans from Alachua County and the University of Florida who
paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The memorial lists the names for each person who surrendered their life in those two wars
on panels that are on the sides of the memorial. One panel faces the road and gives the
purpose for the memorial stating:
“A TREE FOR OUR HEROES”
“These trees and those planted in the medians are this community’s living
tribute to the men and women who served in our armed forces during the Korean and Vietnam
Wars. The one hundred and thirty-six heroes from this area whose names appear here gave
their lives so that we may all enjoy our freedom and prosperity.”
“OUR COMMUNITY SAYS “THANK YOU” TO ALL VETERANS AND THOSE CURRENTLY
SERVING IN OUR ARMED FORCES.”
Though the memorial could use a good cleaning, and perhaps a coat of fresh paint, it is
lit at night. I especially appreciate this memorial as it is lit, a special tribute during
times of budgetary shortfalls when many cities have cut back on exterior lighting. The
people of Alachua County, Florida, and the City of Gainesville are to be commended for
their respect for veterans.
I am an Honorably Discharged former U.S. Marine, who served proudly from July 1970 through
April 1973. Though I am a Vietnam era veteran, I was never asked to serve overseas
assignments. My statewide duty consisted of boot camp training at Paris Island, S.C.,
Advanced Infantry Training at Camp Geiger (Camp LeJeune, S.C.), military police training
at Ft. Gordon, Georgia, and my permanent duty assignment at Camp Pendleton, California,
where I served as a non-commissioned officer with patrol assignments that included
providing security for dignitaries, including President Nixon.
I will always hold the military men and women in very high regard for their commitment to
this great country of ours. I encourage all communities to honor all veterans, especially
those brave men and women, who have sacrificed their lives for our country. Their families
need to know that we will never forget their sacrifice.
To all veterans, I say, “I honor you!” And, to my Marine Corps brothers and
sisters, I say, “Semper Fi!”
Korean War Heroes
June 27, 1950 –January 31, 1955
Alachua County
William H. Adams
Chauncey A. Bennett
T. Harvey Beville
Wiley B. Brooks
Turnace H. Brown
James T. Carlton
John A. Doby
Charles W. Griffin
Walter Jackson
James V. Johnson
Francis McLaughlin
Richard G. McNeil
Claude Peoples
Jone Rogers
Jessie P. Standridge
Thomas Truitt
Elmer C. Wear
Prechea C. White
University of Florida
Melville Adams
Edgar F. Barrington
Harold M. Beardall
John J. Brockman
John W. Carter
Hurder F. Colson
John H. Eiland
Marlyn C. Ford, Jr.
Thomas F. Gaule
Robert E. Henry
James Holloway
Francis P. Malone, Jr.
Henry T. Matthews
Linus D. Mitchell
Joey Moody
Troy E. Moody, Jr.
Sidney R. Mulldin, Jr.
Daniel F. Rooks
Herbert D. Smith
Max R. Stover
Thomas F. Wells
Vietnam War Heroes
Alachua County
August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975
H. Dennis Babers
Martin R. Beck
Larry Bloodworth
James Boston, Jr.
N. Kenneth Bristow
Willie Brown, Jr.
Vernon T. Carter, Jr.
Randolf W. Ford
Charles R. Geiger
James R. Golding
Charles Gordon
Wesley I. Goswick
Terry D. Graham
Fredrick J. Hampton
Eugene S. Hancock
Tommy L. Hankison
Samuel Harrell
Lindy E. Henry
Carl P. Hetrick
Donald R. Hettich
Ross T. Hulslander
James M. Jefferson
Marcus C. Jones
Michael W. Kirkpatrick
Freddie L. Kleckley
Noah M. Kraft
John W. Lawrence, Jr.
Lorenzo C. Maulden
Auburn D. McComb
Thomas W. Peterson
Leslie E. Rembert
Robert Rice
Robert M. Rigdon
Charles E. Roland
James M. Runnells
Robert L. Shorter
Neal A. Smith
Robert Thompson
Fredrick M. Vickery, III
Joshua Welch, Jr.
David E. Wieland
Jerome C. Winters
Johnell Witherspoon
Henry B. Wright
Traveling through Gainesville, Florida recently, I observed a military
memorial beside the highway. As is my nature, I stopped at the memorial to photograph and
to pay my respects to veterans.