In June 1969, Life Magazine published photographs of the 242 American troops killed during one week
In the very first row there's someone my age.
In June 1969, Life Magazine published photographs of the 242 American troops killed during a week of the Vietnam War:
Corp Craig Edward Yates
Grand Rapids
Fallen soldiers mourned as traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial visits Sparta
Updated Apr 04, 2019; Posted Aug 22, 2008
By Juanita Westaby | The Grand Rapids Press
SPARTA -- Nearly 40 years after this community lost five of its young men in a heart-wrenching 11-month period, it welcomed a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
And mourned. From the first notes of "America" sung by a volunteer community choir on Thursday, to the last bagpipe note of "Amazing Grace," they cried.
Sparta Historical Society Member Larry Carter, a local teacher, gave a capsule of the war and hints of the local boys-turned-men who died in Vietnam before they were out of their teens: Bruce Curtis, Michael Dunneback, Dennis Merryman, Craig Yates and Daniel Behm. They were among the more than 58,000 U.S. military personnel who died in that war.
Three of them were only sons. As many as four of them may have ridden the school bus together. And all of them died between February 1969 and January 1970.
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