Vietnam War Memorial Wall Birthdays

At http://thewall-usa.com/index.asp you can search for names on the Wall and one of the options is to search for troops whose birthdays were on the day you are looking at the site. Dear God, if I read it right there are 18 pages of them for Veterans Day and 17 pages of troops who were killed on Veterans Day. Here's the first and one that jumped out at me when I clicked next page.

"ARTHUR LLOYD ADAMS JR

BUH3 - E4 - Navy - Regular Born on Monday, November 11, 1946 From LOVELAND, CO
-->Length of service 2 years His tour began on Feb 15, 1968 Casualty was on Aug 23, 1968In QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY ARTILLERY, ROCKET, or MORTAR Body was recovered Panel 47W - Line 36"

I sit here wearing hearing aids from "artillery,rocket, or mortar" fire. My ears still ring and my head hurts. What if it were me who was reduced to such a cold assessment of my death and a point of curiosity in a web search?

"RICHARD DENNIS BREWER

1LT - O2 - Army - Reserve 1st Cav Division (AMBL) Born on Saturday, November 11, 1944 From BIG SPRING, TX
-->Length of service 6 years His tour began on Feb 21, 1970 Casualty was on May 2, 1970 In , CAMBODIA HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - PILOT AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND Body was recovered"

This entry caught my attention for several reasons. I served with 1 Cav just 10 years after the war ended and in fact had several leaders who fought with her in Nam and and Cambodia where his loss occurred. He was from Texas and his bio said he was married and a Baptist. I was raised a Baptist. I was married and had two children when I left for my war.

I guess it's easy to say, why them? Why me? Why did I survive What did his loss do to his wife Where is she? Did he have children? Were they destroyed over their loss of him?

Have I earned the chance he never had?