My Private Thoughts On Memorial Day 2025

Right by my workstation, you will find a framed exhibit lovingly created for me by Elena. In the background is a photo of the granite wall that carries the names of over 58,000 American men and women killed in the Vietnam War. In the foreground, you will find in bold print the names of four of my high school friends who died fighting in Vietnam. By their names, you will find their date of birth and the date they were killed in Vietnam. Here are the names of these four young men and the details as follows: Donald R. Irby 09/04/1949 03/09/1968 Larry Joe White 02/02/1949 06/10/1969 Ronald S. Athanasiou 01/21/1949 01/21/1970 Michael Vincent Wright 12/19/1947 02/26/1968 A few of you have been to our house. You have seen the Purple Heart certificate I earned in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. A few of you know the story of how I got wounded. If a piece of shrapnel had hit two inches lower, my jugular vein would have been severed. I would have bled to death. There would have been one more name on that granite wall. I was and still am a very lucky man. Please take a moment to reflect on what I have said.