Reading at the Wall in 2002

Thursday, 7 November was another BIG bite day for me. I was one of the 34 Helicopter pilots who helped kick off the reading of all 58,229 names of those who paid the ultimate price in Vietnam. As you know Thursday was a blustery day here with heavy clouds and a constant threat of rain. The Memorial site was full of media people, and quite a few folks just gawking.

A gray haired guy with a pony tail was walking around strumming his guitar. I asked several folks and no one knew who he was, so I walked over and introduced myself to find out what he was up to and who he was.
" Hi I'm Joe Finch, Cu Chi, 1969"
He said, "Welcome home, I'm Scott McKenzie"
I said, " Do I know you?"
He said, "Well I wrote a song that was fairly popular back in the 60's."
I said, " And what was the title?"
" San Francisco!"
“ How does it go”?
“ If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”.
I said, “Oh really! You wrote that?”
He said yeah, and I sang it too.
I said “ Really, That’s cool!”.
He said” You’re stiffing me right?
I said “No, I asked and no one knew who you were”

Oh, THAT Scott McKenzie!! Oooo!
I gave him a Hug and said 'Thanks for being here'.

Just as the ceremonies began, the skies cleared, the sun broke through to highlight the gold and red colors of the leaves and a pale azure sky graced the Opening Ceremonies and the Wall itself.
Chief Whitecloud, a veteran of two tours to Vietnam, lead the opening prayer with a Dakota tribal "Centering Ceremony." He was in his tribal ceremonial outfit, but with a brown bomber jacket worn over his ceremonial dress to display his patches and badges from Vietnam. Very interesting! Everyone was asked to face "the place where the sun sets", and asked/pray to the Spirit of the Deer to give us speed and agility; then all faced to the North where the spirit of the Buffalo resides and he asked the spirit of the Buffalo for courage and strength; then we faced to the place where the sun rises, and he asked another great spirit for wisdom, Then we faced to the south and he asked the spirit of grandmother Earth to continue to bless us with health and bountiful harvests etc. (It was a nice ceremony, even if a little hokey for Christians.)

I was part of a group of 34 VHPA Capital Region Chapter members that read names from Panel 01E and 02E today. We read from 1630 to 1745. We covered the CH-21 losses of 1961 on. I heard the last name "Goldberg" and was reminded of the Stage field at Ft. Rucker bearing his name where most of us learned tactical operations.  Jan Scruggs started the program with a couple speakers, Sen Warner R-VA, Sen Hagel R-NE, and the director of the Veterans Administration. The original Scottish group that sang "Sgt McKenzie" for the soundtrack of "We Were Soldiers" sang the opening song. The Bagpipe was absolutely awesome. It was a very moving performance. They were in Kilts and had great singing voices.

Scott MacKenzie who wrote the song, " Are you going to San Francisco" played his guitar prior to the program. He said he was unaware of the impact of his song until the 80's when VN vets began telling him how important the song had been to them as a reminder that after the war there was a place to go.

Bobbie the Weather Girl from AFVN TV 1968 was also there.

A young mother who read names before me, said, "...and my father....." Boy did that make me gulp! That is when you really realize the impact of what you are doing by participating in this effort to read all 59,229 names over the next 65 hours. The Gold Star mothers were powerful, and attention grabbing when they said, "my son,......" We must never forget the losses these 60-80 year old  mothers feel for their entire lives. One of them read three names! All had her last name. It brings home again the saying "All gave some, some gave ALL"

It really sets your heart on fire to hear the sound of your voice resonating off the black marble as I read my 30 names. I read them clear
and distinctly with a tap of my foot pause between each name and tried to ensure everyone heard each name, to let the world know these guys aren't forgotten. They are alive and well in our hearts and their lives meant something to all of us. There is a strange dynamic when the names echo off the wall: It is as though those guys are shouting that name back at  us. 

As I watched us read the names, I could not help but reflect on how we have not lost our warrior spirit and have planted our warrior seed in our children. Mike Borland from C/4-77 ARA the Griffins has a son in the 20th SOS who flies MH 53Ms in Afghanistan for AF SOF and that boy is a branch transfer from the Army as an Apache pilot. Mike wore a Green Hornet 20th SOS hat as he read.

Our VN units were 174 AHC, A/228, B/228, A/1-9 Cav, C/1-9 Cav, A/229, 187th AHC, 205th ASHB, C Troop 7/17 Cav, 361st ACE, 25th AVN BN, one guy who actually admitted to knowing Mac Jones from C/2-17 Cav, to name a few. We may be 55+ years
old, but in spirit we remain the youthful 20 year old guys who lived each moment to its fullest.

I cannot believe I have had the honor of doing this!!! While I was there reading the names of fallen heroes I was standing with living heroes and some legendary pilots turned statesman etc.. Many of these guys are still making contributions.

One of the Gold Star mom's, ladies who have lost a son in Vietnam, read three names. Her three boys! It was enough to get us old crusty pilots to swallow hard.

My next set of 30 names was Saturday morning at 10:00, and my last set was Saturday evening at 21:38.

One of the names we read was Bobby Gentry! These are the words to:

"A Song For Mr. Gentry" -1972
The wind screamed loud that one fateful day
when young Bobby Gentry went walking away.
Young flying warrior of the sky.
Strong as a lion's roar.
Quiet as a snowfall.
We flew in from the west to a green grass valley
and a flowery field landing in a strange foreign battle.
The lightening flashed
and God had His say
and the flowers turned red
and the valley went grey
and young Bobby Gentry went walking away.
Like a warrior of the sky he was to proud to cry
as he looked to the heavens and quietly slipped away
to the land where slain warriors of battles do play.
Oh! I heard his mother cry and his father fall to his knees.
His brothers and his sisters all scream to the sky
cursing the wind that one fateful day when young Bobby Gentry went walking
away.

Most folks would be satisfied that they had enough fun for one day.

But that was NOT the end of my day. I met up with Ray Thomann from the choir and we went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum where my friend and former classmate Hugh L.Mills was the featured speaker at a dedication of an IMAX film on Helicopters. We had a few minutes before the program started so Ray and I went to Vie ‘D France for a light dinner. Ray was in a really bouncy mood and the greeter sounded a bit Italian so Ray was jibing with the guy with a mock Italian accent. Yea weduh Likea soma souppa, Howsa yor a day man it wasa a good day anh!! We had a good time at dinner! The film is great and I highly recommend it to you all. Following the film Hugh, who was a Loach pilot just as crazy as Ray, talked about how we 'kids' learned to fly and then to "fight" helicopters. He discussed his experience in Vietnam. Hugh has 84 combat medals including three silver stars, several (5 ?) Distinguished Flying Crosses, and lots of other medals. He is also a gifted speaker and held everyone's attention for an hour. As he concluded, and the curator of the Air and Space museum was giving him
a plaque and a copy of their latest book, I stood up and walked to the end of the aisle where he was standing, and started walking towards him. When he saw me, a light went on and he took a quick step forward an said "Joe!" in a nice clear LOUD voice! I gave him a big hug and said "Welcome home Hugh! You did good,  buddy!" He said something like "It is so good to see you man!" Then we both realized he was still on the microphone and we were broadcasting to the whole theater audience, plus there was a retired general officer who is now the curator of a National Museum looking at us in wonder! ( Are you two done yet?)

Following the book signing, I took Hugh and his wife Sharyn to the Holiday Inn where we talked until midnight. I shared my journey with them and Hugh was duly impressed. Then we talked scriptures until midnight when I decided I had better hit the road so I could get to work at 06:30. It was a BIG BITE day! I really don't know how many blessings each of us is allowed, but I may have exceeded my quota. This year has been full of them for me and I thank God for each one of them.

Joseph R. Finch