State lawmakers seek photos of fallen Vietnam-era soldiers

From WYSH Radio

Three local state legislators are seeking photos of Vietnam War veterans from Anderson County who were killed in action in order to honor the fallen heroes at a new facility that complements the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

The photos are being sought by Tennessee Senator Randy McNally and Representative John Ragan, both Oak Ridge Republicans, and Dennis Powers, a Jacksboro Republican. The photos will be part of a multimedia display at the new facility, which will be built between the existing Wall and the Lincoln Memorial. The effort is part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, or VVMF.

Senator Mark Green, a Clarksville Republican who is heading up the effort statewide, enlisted the help of the local lawmakers in trying to locate missing photos of local veterans for the memorial.

The Education Center at the Wall already has photos for 596 soldiers of the 1,295 Tennesseans who are listed on “The Wall” in Washington.

“This is a huge project and we want to do everything we can to get the photos for these Tennesseans who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to this state and this nation,” McNally said. “We hope that many local citizens can help in this effort.”

“The Wall serves as a great visual reminder of the tremendous sacrifice paid by our soldiers,” Ragan said.

“This display will complement it by putting a face with the names of these veterans so they will never be forgotten,” Powers said.

The lawmakers are seeking photos for the following who listed Anderson County as their home:

• Oak Ridge—Benjamin Lee IV, Army; Gerald W. Davidson, Army; Gregory J. Weber, Marine Corps; Joseph K. Bradley, Marine Corps, and Micheal R. Baker, Army;
• Rocky Top (Lake City)—Acie D. Hall, Marine Corps, Garry L.Weaver, Army; and Kenneth J. Davis, Army;
• Oliver Springs—James E. Byrd, Army;
• Clinton—Gomer D. Hoskins Jr., Army; John T. Davis, Army; and William D. Daugherty, Army; and
• New River—Donald E. Madden, Army

Photos can be submitted to Senator Randy McNally, 307 War Memorial Building, Nashville, TN 37243 or call (615) 741-6806. To view the photos that have already been submitted or see if someone you know is among those without a photo, please visit The Wall of Faces website at www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces.