more to follow

His dog tag.

More to follow…

In 1973, shortly after coming home, Edward died after falling out of a capsized canoe while duck hunting with his friends.

His sister, Lorraine, has been located and arrangements are being made to return her brothers dog tag to her in New Hampshire.

The dog tag return presentation will be overseen by the White Mountain Chapter of the Nam Knights of America MC.

Edward Raiche’s dog tag was retrieved in Vietnam, along with 300 others, by Vietnam USMC veteran, and retired Chief of Police, Ray Milligan in 1993.

Milligan was a volunteer with a group called Operation Smile, a medical mission that travels the globe and performs corrective surgery for children with cleft palates or cleft lips, mostly in Third World countries. Milligan, a former Force Recon Marine who’d served in Vietnam, had gone to Vietnam as logistics support coordinator for the medical program.

There, in the small shops that lined the streets outside his hotel, vendors were selling what appeared to be old, rusty American dog tags as relics of the war. He purchased them and brought them home. In 2010 Ray Milligan gave the dog tag collection to the POW/MIA Awareness Committee of NJ in hopes that they could find the owners of the dog tag.

The Nam Knights of America MC, which is a Military and Veteran Motorcycle Club, came onboard with the project at its onset and continues to handle the majority of the dog tag returns. To date their chapters have handled returns in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, New York, Arizona, Tennessee, and Michigan. For more information about the Nam Knights of America, visit their website at http://www.namknights.org.

]]> http://www.powmiaawareness.org/2013/05/20/dog-tag-to-be-returned-to-sister-of-vietnam-veteran-edward-raiche/feed/ 0 http://www.powmiaawareness.org/2013/05/11/47-years-later-richard-l-laws-pilot-killed-in-vietnam-will-get-his-funeral/ http://www.powmiaawareness.org/2013/05/11/47-years-later-richard-l-laws-pilot-killed-in-vietnam-will-get-his-funeral/#comments Sat, 11 May 2013 10:10:49 +0000 admin http://www.powmiaawareness.org/?p=2063 Continue reading →]]> 47 years later, W. Sac Navy pilot killed in Vietnam will get his funeral
By Bill Lindelof blindelof@sacbee.com

There was little doubt that West Sacramento’s Richard L. Laws died April 3, 1966, when the naval fighter pilot’s aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed in North Vietnam.

“After making a strafing run on the target, Lt. Laws radioed that his aircraft had been hit,” reads a military report on his death. “Twenty seconds later, his flight lead observed Laws’ aircraft impact a hillside and explode.”

The report goes on to state that a parachute was observed but it was not used. No further radio contact was received from the 26-year-old Laws after impact.

A memorial service a few days after the crash was held at Miramar Naval Air Station Chapel near San Diego.

After the war ended, on three separate occasions, different joint teams of Vietnamese and Americans visited the crash site, gathering remains.

However, nothing was to come of those remains recovery missions until the science of DNA typing had advanced to the point that a match was made with a relative of Laws.

“It looks like DNA technology was not quite where it could identify the remains that were recovered until 2011,” said Air Force Maj. Carie Parker, a public affairs officer with the Defense Prisoner of War-Missing Personnel Office.

With Laws officially coming off the books as missing in action, the family of the late naval officer will gather on May 10 in Annapolis, Md., at the Naval Academy in the chapel, where a funeral for the pilot will be held 47 years after his death.

His widow, Karen Laws Engelke, who once made a pilgrimage to her first husband’s crash site, last week recalled his death and spoke about the importance of the upcoming services.

She described him as a serious man with a dry sense of humor. Thin, athletic and bright, he ran cross country in high school.

He always wanted to fly and could fix any car. Laws graduated high in his academy class.

When he died, Laws was on his second tour of duty, his unit named Attack Squadron 24 on board the USS Hancock. Engelke remembered her husband had grown weary of war.

“Dick was a very tired young man,” she said. “He had to buck up every single day to get into that plane to take off.”

He wanted to be home, she said. His plane had never been hit before the fatal event, but several in his squadron had sustained damage.

“I was worried every day,” she said. “After he came back from the first tour, he had nightmares about being captured.”

She remarried in 1971; her second husband, Edwin Engelke, died of cancer.

Engelke said that in 2006, she and her daughter and a grandson went to Vietnam to the crash site. The pilgrimage brought them to a rural village called Xuan Du, about 45 minutes by car from the end of the paved road.

“It was extraordinary,” said Engelke. “We were met in a village council chambers and then we hiked up this pretty steep hill.”

She brought with her 357 memorial ribbons attached to a pole from all kinds of people, including Laws’ classmates and friends. All the ribbons had messages, some in Vietnamese.

She tied it to a tree at the crash site and a few words were said.

Engelke is glad that the remains were recovered to honor her late husband. Her children, who were very young when their father was killed, turned out to “be pretty cool people,” she said.

Their son, Richard, an Army veteran, is a physician. Their daughter, Cheryl, once a Naval aviator, is employed in the nuclear shipping industry.

“Dick had a great smile, which his son has now,” she said.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/04/5162865/47-years-later-w-sac-navy-pilot.html#storylink=cpy

A group of local veterans have teamed up to bring “The Wall That Heals,” a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to Moorestown.

Army veteran Dave Walters, who served in Vietnam from 1968-69, said he’s visited the Wall That Heals about 10 times in the last few years, following the mobile memorial to places like Louisiana and Missouri. He first visited the wall about three years ago and when asked to describe the experience, he struggled.

“I don’t know that words could ever be found in any of Webster’s dictionaries (to describe it),” he said. “It was like a flashback … It’s a really moving experience.”

Since then, Walters has strived to bring the wall to Moorestown. He recently began laying the groundwork to bring the wall to town next summer, submitting a request to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and brought together a group of veterans and concerned citizens to make it happen.

Former Citizen of the Year Dave Schill, a Navy veteran, said the group is in the midst of trying to nail down the proper venue for the wall. They need somewhere spacious—the wall is a half scale replica of the D.C. memorial (about 250 feet), and includes a traveling museum and information tent—and quiet.

The group initially looked at Memorial Field—possibly the most appropriate venue for the wall—but because they’ll be hosting the wall during the summer, when there’s a lot of sports activity at the field, it was nixed pretty quickly, said Schill.

Walters said the most recent letter he got from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund offers them a window of June 4-9 to host the wall. While it’s here, the wall must be available to the public 24/7 and guarded the entire time. Volunteers will also be needed to erect the wall.

He considered Lockheed Martin as a possible venue—given its size—but because the wall has to be open 24 hours a day, and Lockheed locks its gates after a certain hour, it presents complications. Walters also looked at the Burlington County Community Agricultural Center site on Centerton Road, as well as a large, open area behind the YMCA.

“There’s a large area behind their building that would give the peaceful setting for something of this nature to be presented,” he said.

Walters expects to nail down the venue within the next week or so. Soon after, the group can begin raising money to fund the hosting of the wall.

“Anybody that we’re discussing this with is not going to lay out a penny,” he said.

Township council discussed hosting the Wall of Healing Monday, when Memorial Field was still on the table. Although since then, Walters’ group has gotten away from hosting the wall on township property, the members of council were enthusiastic about the idea.

“It’s an incredible opportunity,” said Mayor John Button.

Though the specifics are still up in the air, Walters said he can guarantee “100 percent” that Moorestown will be visited by the wall next year.

Asked why he continues to visit the wall over and over, and why he’s so eager to bring it home, Walters responded, “I’m hoping I’ll run into somebody I knew in Vietnam, and it gives me a chance to run into others, and others to reach out to me … It’s heartwarming. It shows what America really is.”

His body was not recovered by U.S. forces at that time. Faith was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor – the United States’ highest military honor – for personal acts of exceptional valor during the battle. In 2004, a joint U.S. and Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (D.P.R.K) team surveyed the area where Faith was last seen. His remains were located and returned to the U.S. for identification. To identify Faith’s remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, compiled by DPMO and JPAC researchers, and forensic identification tools, such as dental comparison. They also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched Faith’s brother.

——————-

Early life

Faith was born in Washington, Indiana on 26 August 1918, the son of Brigadier General Don Carlos Faith. Faith joined the Army following graduation from Georgetown University in June 1941, after he was found medically unfit to attend the United States Military Academy. With an O.C.S. commission, he served with paratroopers in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany, ending the war as a Lieutenant Colonel on the Staff of General Maxwell Taylor.^[1]

Military career

With America’s entry into the Second World War approaching, Congress passed the Selective Service Act. Don Faith was called in for his draft physical, but was rejected for the same dental disqualification that thwarted his admission to the United States Military Academy. However Faith was able to appeal the draft board’s decision, and he was inducted on June 25, 1941. After completion of Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned on February 26, 1942.

Lieutenant Faith was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and spent the remainder of the war with the division. He served as both an aide to Brig. Gen. Matthew Ridgway and as a staff officer in the division. In addition to participating in all of the division’s combat jumps during the war, Faith was awarded two Bronze Stars and was promoted to Lt. Colonel.

After World War II, Faith served with the military mission in China until it was withdrawn. His next assignment was with the 7th Infantry Division in Japan as a battalion commander. When the war in Korea broke out during the summer of 1950, Faith and the 7th Infantry were sent to help stop the invasion of North Korea. Faith was the Commander of the 1st Battalion, 32st Infantry Regiment.^[2] The 31st RCT was part of the force that pushed north with the objective of reaching the Yalu River. The 31st RCT was on the eastern bank of the Chosin Reservoir when the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) stage a massive attack on the night of November 27, 1950. This began the Battle of Chosin Reservoir that would last until December 13, 1950.

During a desperate drive south by convoy along the only road on December 1, the 31st Regimental Commander, Colonel Allan D. MacLean was killed so the command of the entire regiment went to Faith.^[3] Later the same day, Faith led an attack again a CCF roadblock when he was wounded by a fragment grenade. Faith was loaded into the cab of a 2 1/2 Ton Truck and with Pfc. Russell L. Barney driving it was the only truck to get through the last roadblock. As Barney was driving they were struck by small arms fire by the CCF at which time Faith was hit again and died. At some point Barney had to abandon the truck leaving Faith’s body in the truck. Barney made it back to the safety of United Nations lines where he later reported his account.^[4] Like all the dead and wounded who were killed by the CCF and left with all the abandoned convoy vehicles, as none of the convoy vehicles made it to safety, Faith was listed as Missing in Action.

Later Faith’s classification was changed to Killed in Action Body not Recovered. After 62 years in this classification, Faith’s remains were recovered near the Chosin Reservoir by a Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command (JPAC) field recovery team. His remains were identified through DNA and reported to the public by Defense Prisoner Of War – Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) on October 11, 2012. [DPMO http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ October 11, 2012]. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on 17 April 2013 with full military honors. ^[5]

President Harry S. Truman awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, Posthumously, to Lieutenant Colonel Don C. Faith Jr.. The award was presented to Mrs. Barbara Faith in Washington, D.C., by General Omar N. Bradley, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a ceremony on June 21, 1951. The official Department of the Army award and citation were published in its General Order No. 59, 2 August 1951.^[6]

Awards and decorations

	Combat Infantryman Badge
	Medal of Honor
	Silver Star (2)
	Bronze Star (3)
	Purple Heart (2)
	National Defense Service Medal
	World War II Victory Medal
	Korean Service Medal
	United Nations Service Medal
	Republic of Korea War Service Medal
	Korean Presidential Unit Citation

Medal of Honor citation

General Orders: Department of the Army, General Orders No. 59 (August 2, 1951)

Action Date: November 27 – December 1, 1950

Service: Army

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Company: Commanding Officer

Battalion: 1st Battalion

Regiment: 32d Infantry Regiment

Division: 7th Infantry Division

Citation:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Don Carlos Faith, Jr. (ASN: 0-46673), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty while Commanding the 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, in action against enemy aggressor forces at Hagaru-ri, (Chosin Reservoir) North Korea, from 27 November to 1 December 1950. When the enemy launched a fanatical attack against his battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Faith unhesitatingly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire as he moved about directing the action. When the enemy penetrated the positions, Lieutenant Colonel Faith personally led counterattacks to restore the position. During an attack by his battalion to effect a junction with another U.S. unit, Lieutenant Colonel Faith reconnoitered the route for, and personally directed, the first elements of his command across the ice-covered reservoir and then directed the movement of his vehicles which were loaded with wounded until all of his command had passed through the enemy fire. Having completed this he crossed the reservoir himself. Assuming command of the force his unit had joined he was given the mission of attacking to join friendly elements to the south. Lieutenant Colonel Faith, although physically exhausted in the bitter cold, organized and launched an attack which was soon stopped by enemy fire. He ran forward under enemy small-arms and automatic weapons fire, got his men on their feet and personally led the fire attack as it blasted its way through the enemy ring. As they came to a hairpin curve, enemy fire from a roadblock again pinned the column down. Lieutenant Colonel Faith organized a group of men and directed their attack on the enemy positions on the right flank. He then placed himself at the head of another group of men and in the face of direct enemy fire led an attack on the enemy roadblock, firing his pistol and throwing grenades. When he had reached a position approximately 30 yards from the roadblock he was mortally wounded, but continued to direct the attack until the roadblock was overrun. Throughout the five days of action Lieutenant Colonel Faith gave no thought to his safety and did not spare himself. His presence each time in the position of greatest danger was an inspiration to his men. Also, the damage he personally inflicted firing from his position at the head of his men was of material assistance on several occasions. Lieutenant Colonel Faith’s outstanding gallantry and noble self-sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty reflect the highest honor on him and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
(This award supersedes the prior award of the Silver Star (First Oak Leaf Cluster) as announced in G.O. No. 32, Headquarters X Corps, dated 23 February 1951, for gallantry in action on 27 November 1950.)^[7]