In 1994 while browsing the Internet I stumbled upon a post left on a message board from Mrs. Mary Lesch. The post was about her brother Pat, who had been killed in Vietnam on May 27, 1969. The date immediately came to my attention because it was the same day a friend Ralph had been killed.
LIFE Magazine (June 27, 1969 issue) dedicated an article to those who died
in Vietnam during one week. The week included Memorial Day. The article "The
Faces of the American Dead in Vietnam.....One Weeks Toll" contained the names
of two hundred and forty two men. Two of those names were James Patrick Francis
and Ralph Heman Crowley.
Mary and I corresponded for quite some time and made plans to meet in DC
during Memorial Day weekend 1997. Having shared our thoughts, feelings and
memories, Mary asked if I could write a poem to leave at "The Wall" for Pat
and Ralph. The poem that we left was A Day To
Remember.
Me and Mary at The Wall
Memorial Day Weekend
1997
