Vets pay tribute to fallen comrades at virtual Vietnam wall

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: CNN

By Mallory Simon
CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Julius Derico Jr. didn't need to travel to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington to pay tribute to his fallen comrade -- the first casualty of his unit in Vietnam. As he huddled around a computer with other veterans, he searched for his friend's name in a newly digitized version of the Wall. While it's just one of the Wall's 58,320 names, Derico said he hopes people understand that it represents something more than just an inscription.

The virtual Wall, a project created by the National Archives and Footnote.com, brings the memorial to millions of American homes. The Web site, unveiled last week, links names to casualty reports, historical documents and digital photographs, and allows users to leave online tributes to those who died.

To create the digital image, photographers used more than 6,000 photographs of the Wall, which measures about 460 feet wide.

Ten Vietnam veterans at an American Legion Post 911 in Atlanta, Georgia, gathered to test the online Wall for CNN.com. They said they believe the new Wall gives a face to each of the names, and helps keep their memories alive. "We can use that to help console people ... To help people realize that ... they are gone but they are not forgotten," Derico said. "We can show it to you (online). Your brother, your sister ... They're still there; they are being thought of and they are being treated with due respect."...

Link to Interactive Vietnam Veterans Memorial: http://go.footnote.com/thewall


Users can search the digitized Vietnam War Memorial Wall for details about soldiers who died.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/01/vietnam.wall/index.html

[Mountainman]

1. It's too busy now. I tried looking up some friends of mine.

Sometimes I wonder, for vets, is it a good thing to keep the memories fresh or is it better to let them rest. The Iraq war has brought lots of talk about Vietnam back again. For me, I'm kind of for letting them rest in peace.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Mountainman. nt

[DemoTex]

3. Excellent resource. Thanks DeepModem Mom!

The Wall-USA also has an excellent search engine.

http://thewall-usa.com/

[saigon68]

5. Seconded

[Mr. McD]

4. In rememberance

A friend who died 8 Jan 1970 when his OH-6 Scout helicopter was shot down.

· Title/Collection: Vietnam Veterans Memorial
· Full Name: Donahe, Warren Lee
· Sheet Number: 1
· Rank: Specialist Fourth Class
· Grade: E4
· Specialty: Single-Rotor Turbine Observation/ Utility Helicopter Repairman (ARMY)
· Hometown: Milpitas
· Home State: CA
· Race: Caucasian
· Religion: Protestant - No Denominational Preference
· Marital Status: Single
· Date Of Birth: 19 Jun 1950
· Tour Start Date: 13 Sep 1969

[xxqqqzme]

6. Thank you for this link.

I was unaware of the virtual wall. I had looked up a friend when I was at the wall. Unfortunately, there is much 'unknown' about him according to the site - dates are missing, location etc.

He was a sweet gentle person, only 19, the only child of a widowed mother. Sadly, his last words to me were "I know I'll be coming back'. If only....