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 Vietnam veteran Earl Buck of Glasgow remembers a fallen friend at "The Wall That Heals" exhibit in Slater on Saturday, Aug. 26. [Click to enlarge] |
-go easy buddy.
| -Jack" |
 Mike Rogers of Slater and Geno Avery of Moberly stand during the playing of "Taps" at "The Wall That Heals" ceremonies in Slater. [Click to enlarge] |
Taken from a letter left at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington D.C. and displayed at "The Wall That Heals" exhibit in Slater.
"It's taken me since 1974 to get here," Earl Buck, a Vietnam veteran from Glasgow, said. He stood back from the wall for a moment, "I'm going to go say good-bye right now." He went to the wall and knelt in front of it.
Emotion flooded over him as he touched the wall. He broke down. He only stayed for a few moments.
More than 50,000 Americans lost their lives in Vietnam. The average age of those that died was 19 years old.
Emotions ran high all day during the ceremonies at "The Wall That Heals" exhibit in Slater on Saturday, Aug. 26.
Co-organizer Charlie Guthrie's voice broke as he opened the ceremony.
Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard King Stillwell's speech was emotional.
The benches sitting near the wall were full of people who just had to sit down for a while.
Walking through the crowd you heard snippets of conversation. People being reminded of how it was then, how many were lost:
"It brings back so much."
"You forget how many there were."
There were veterans there who had lost friends, walking slowly in front of the wall.
There were veterans from other wars.
There were families who had lost loved ones.
There were people who did not know any one who was lost in Vietnam.
There were people who weren't even born when the war was going on.
They all remembered together.
A stranger walked up to a tearful Earl Buck as he walked away from the wall. He held out his hand and they shook. Buck nodded and walked away.
It's never too late to remember and it's never too late to say 'thank you' to those who served.
Contact Zach Sims at