04 Mar 2002 This site is to honor a half-brother I never got to meet. In 1968, I lost two close friends in Viet Nam. I was yet to find out I lost a half-brother. He had made a career in the Army and had such a short time to retire. God called Leon home before he could return to his wife and family. I visited Leon's grave in 1975 and stood proud in honor of his life. Leon died for our country and knowing that fact, I can truly say I love him because he is my brother. Betty Jean Dyer Higginbotham 2560 Palm Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33406 bettyjeanfife52@yahoo.com

 

06 Nov 2006 Hello Betty: My name is Jim Hampton. I am a retired member of the National Guard. It was my privilege to know and serve with Willford. I worked for the National Guard here in Cleveland, Tennessee, at the time that he enlisted with us. It was his ambition to get back in the Active Army and not too long after he enlisted in the Guard the Army came out with a program where prior service personnel who were serving in the National Guard could return to Active Duty in Grade. This was just what he had been hoping for so he applied and was accepted. As I recall he served a stretch in Hawaii. Following that while home on leave he came to my home to visit and thank me for helping him get back on Active Duty - he was really excited about all this. Sad to say the next thing I heard he had been killed in combat. I went to the funeral home (probably Buckner Funeral Home) on Wildwood Avenue in Cleveland to pay my respects. I found your name and The Virtual Wall while surfing the Internet so I thought I would share this memory with you. He was a great guy and a lot of help to me. Sincerely, Jim Hampton James F. Hampton jamchamp@aol.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall 1st Infantry Division units lost nine men in Binh Duong Province on 19 April 1968, but The Virtual Wall cannot determine if the losses were in a single or separate engagements. The men were A Co, 1st Bn, 26th Infantry: SSG Freddie Whitaker, Union, NJ; SGT Russell L. Thompson, Memphis, TN; SP4 Juan Gomez-Rivera, Cabo Rojo, PR; PFC Keven T. Direen, Albuquerque, NM; PFC Dennis R. Hartpence, Edison, OH; and PFC Jerry V. McDonald, Belleville, AR. B Trp, 1st Sqdn, 4th Cavalry: SSG Willford L. Dyer, Cleveland, TN; SGT Jenies I. Mobley, Grimesland, NC; and PFC Charles C. Beard, Santa Fe, TN.

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