GREENFIELD, Ind. (July 22, 2015)– A central Indiana man is on a mission to put a face to every Hoosier hero killed in the Vietnam War.
There are about 1,500 Hoosiers named in an online memorial called ‘The Wall of Faces.’ However, some don’t have a picture.
Over the years, and with help, retired U.S. Air Force veteran Dave Hine of Greenfield has been able to find many of the faceless veterans. Now there are only about 65 names left without pictures.
Hine said he joined the forces during the war, but was lucky to be sent to Europe instead of Vietnam.
“How fortunate I am,” he said as he looked at some of the pictures he’d found. “Many of them never had a chance to get married or have a family.”
To put faces next to the names of these heroes is incredibly important.
“When you can actually see the person, a picture of the person that died, I think it brings it home a little more,” he explained. “They were fathers, brothers, uncles. We just have to make sure we remember and honor them.”
In a few years, Hine said, the virtual memorial will turn into a life-sized one in the nation’s capital. Hine created a Facebook page to help spread the word and finish his task before then.
“How great would it be for someone to be there with their children and say ‘That’s your grandfather’s picture’.”
In Marion County, there are still 22 veterans without a picture.
Here is a complete list of names of veterans killed in action in the Vietnam War that are without pictures. The list is by county. If you recognize a veteran, please contact Hine at mrdavidlhine@att.net.
WILLIAM STANLEY KLEINT – FT WAYNE ALLEN
REX MICHAEL HOOVER – LOGANSPORT CASS
ROY DOUGLAS JORDAN – LOGANSPORT CASS
JOHNNY LEON YOUNG – BRAZIL CLAY
GREGORY STAN MUNDELL – FRANKFORT CLINTON
EARL DAVID MILLER – GARRETT DEKALB
JAMES NORBERT GALEY – ELKHART ELKHART
JERRY DOUGLAS CLARK – NEW ALBANY FLOYD
HARRY E MITCHELL – MARION GRANT
STEVEN MELVIN POE – MARION GRANT
DONALD JOSEPH SMITH – MARION GRANT
BENJAMIN D COY JR – NOBLESVILLE HAMILTON
DARYL LEE LOWERY – WARREN HUNTINGTON
WILLIAM MANSON DAULTON – MEDORA JACKSON
MARTIN DOUGLAS GOEN – MEDORA JACKSON
JAMES ELMORE HARRELL – CORTLAND JACKSON
THOMAS ARTHUR STEVENS JR – SEYMOUR JACKSON
COLUMBUS VIRGLE GROSS – RENSSELAER JASPER
LEONARD IRVIN MOORE – HANOVER JEFFERSON
PERCY BEASLEY JR – GARY LAKE
CALVIN CURTIS NASH – GARY LAKE
JAMES E NUNLEY – GARY LAKE
ANDREW JAMES ROBERTSON – GARY LAKE
MATTHEW WOODS – GARY LAKE
HENRY HERBERT MEASLEY JR – WESTVILLE LAPORTE
GEORGE SHERMAN GOODE – BEDFORD LAWRENCE
MONTY DOUGLAS PRUSH – BEDFORD LAWRENCE
JACK LEE ALLEN – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
JAMES OTIS ALLEN – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
JAMES EDWARD ARNOLD – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
DAVID COLVIN – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
EVERETT FREDERICK COX – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
RONALD FRANCIS DONOHUE – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
WILLIAM KENNETH GARRITY – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
RICHARD DALE GORDON – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
HARVEY GENE GRAHAM – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
KENNETH LEE HEARN – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
RALPH EDWARD JOHNSON – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
RONNIE LEE LOGAN – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
CARL WAYNE PHILLIPS – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
ROY ROGERS ROARK – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
BRADLEY ANDREW SAINT CLAIR – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
MICHAEL LYNN SCISNEY – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
JAMES NELSON STEEN – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
JAMES EDWARD TAYLOR INDIANAPOLIS MARION
HARRY ALLEN WATSON – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
MICHAEL FRANCIS WEISSERT – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
KENNETH EUGENE WILLARD JR – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
BOBBY JOE WILSON – INDIANAPOLIS MARION
SAMUEL HENRY HOWARD – WINGATE MONTGOMERY
HOLLIS GARNELL MAPLE – GOODLAND NEWTON
JAMES WILLIAM RAGLE – VELPEN PIKE
WILLIAM ARNOLD WESTLAKE – LYNN RANDOLPH
CLARENCE BOWMAN JR – AUSTIN SCOTT
CHARLES WAYNE RICHARDSON – ST PAUL SHELBY
TADEUSZ JAN BOROWSKI – SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
LARRY FLOYD JANKOWSKI – SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
PAUL MICHAEL ROBERTS – SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
WILLIAM JULIUS SAFRIT – SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
ROBERT PAUL SHEELY – SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
DONNIE RAY HARLEY – WALKERTON ST. JOSEPH
JOHN VAN DRIESSCHE – MISHAWAKA ST. JOSEPH
ROBERT JOE HARDESTY – LAFAYETTE TIPPECANOE
DAVID LEROY HOWARD – LAFAYETTE TIPPECANOE
WILLIAM ROBERT JENNETT – LAFAYETTE TIPPECANOE