Veterans Day is once again almost upon us. Next Wednesday, Nov. 11, the nation will honor all the brave men and women who have been, and those who still are, willing to serve their country.
I’m sure, despite COVID-19, there will be observances and programs held locally, across the state and throughout America that will recognize our veterans. That includes all veterans.
More than 7,000 men and women from Oklahoma alone have made the supreme sacrifice. Their names are inscribed on the Oklahoma Veterans Memorial Wall at the War Memorial in Veterans Woodland Park in Shawnee.
The memorial was an endeavor that began 13 years ago by a group of several men who dedicated themselves to making the memorial a reality.
I’ve known lots of people who have served in the military. My dad and a couple of his brothers and an uncle on mother’s side all served in World War II. The uncle I was closest to joined the Air National Guard and served our country later.
I spent 13 years in the U.S. Army Reserve as a member of the 95th Division.
I knew a kid who lived across the street from us for a while when I was growing up who not only served in the military but he also gave his life for this great nation.
His name was Reggie King. He was about a year and a half younger than I was and went to a different high school than I did.
He and I ran around some before we moved several blocks away during February of my senior year.
I lost track of him because when I entered college I came to Shawnee and was home on weekends my freshman year.
Reggie’s dream was to be a Marine. He talked about it all the time we were around one another. He wanted a career in the military and the Vietnam War was going on strong at the time.
I was either in or had just finished my junior year of college when I learned that Reggie had been killed in the war. His mom was still living in Oklahoma City in our former neighborhood and had informed my mother about his death.
When “The Moving Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial” came to Shawnee in August 2009, I went and viewed it. I also took that piece of paper they gave us and etched on it his full name, Reginald D. King.
I placed it in my desk drawer at home where it lies today.
The other night when I started researching Reggie on the Internet, I found out the information I had been wanting to know for many years.
He was a Lance Corporal with the U.S. Marines at the time of his death. His specialty was a machine gunner and he was with the 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, K Company.
Cause of his death was listed as “hostile, died of wounds from small arms fire, ground casualty.” Reggie was killed while fighting in the Quang Tri Province of South Vietnam.
He began his tour in Vietnam on June 23, 1968, when he still was 18 years old and he died on Valentine’s Day of 1969, two months after turning 19.
He earned the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal and Combat Action Ribbon among several others.
He was laid to rest in the Springfield National Cemetery.
I will always keep that piece of paper with his name etched on it reminding me of Reggie who was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice while serving this great nation.