Fellow Spurs and dear friends, Pam and I wanted to share this with all of you. The Moving Wall was here in Bellevue, Wa. this past weekend and we wanted to share the experience.
Our very special thanks to Lois Gustafson and all the volunteers that helped put this all together. Having helped assemble & disassemble this very Wall in 2001 at the very same cemetery, we know just how much hard work and dedication it takes to put on this event.
At the close is a special dedication to Nathan Pulliam’s grandson-in-law who died in Afghanistan on 25 Jun 2011. The West Point dedication reads in part:
1Lt. Dimitri A. Del Castillo, 24, of Tampa, Florida died June 25, at Kunar province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He was on the radio calling in support when he was hit. He kept working on the support until he died with the handset in his hand.
We placed the picture of Dimitri with the roses at Panel 32E below the names of fallen Spurs Mehl & McNair mentioned in Col. Pulliam’s 4th of July address.
Of special note was our local Vietnamese who significantly contributed to hosting the Wall this time around. Without their help it would not have been possible. They were extremely gracious to all the veterans.
Our best,
Bear & Pam
While at the Wall, Pam and I left personal dedications with roses and flags attached for those Spurs who perished during my tour, our Spur KIA-BNRs, the nurses who perished in Nam, those K-9s that gave up their lives protecting U.S. troops, the women who perished on Operation Babylift, and of course the forementioned dedication to 1Lt. Dimitri del Castillo. Such dedications with pictures when possible bring faces to those names so that the civilians and young Americans that attend can realize the sacrifice that was made by our fallen brothers and sisters…