Dear Editor,
I sit here on Veterans Day, reflecting on three friends, residents of Green River and patriots who gave their all in Vietnam back in the 60s. I’ve been looking at the nicely done Salute to the Troops section of your Nov. 5 edition.
Being fairly new in ownership of our hometown newspaper, you wouldn’t be aware of these three young men, unless you were researching the old microfishe of the paper from 50 plus eras ago. My daughter tells me the entries in the above sections were solicited from relatives, so I wish to call attention to the sacrifice of these three since any relatives they might have around have probably moved on.
The first to die in ‘Nam was Marine Lieutenant Dennis Kind in about 1966. King was an honor graduate, athlete and product of Green River High School’s class of 1964. He volunteered to try and make a difference, much to the chagrin of his father, Hayes King, who was a foreman at Stauffer Chemical. Being a year older, Dennis was always a good example for me when we both lived west of town.
Next is Douglas Rogers, who was a lifelong friend. His father was a lifelong Wyoming game warden. Some of my oldest memories were of him and I playing at the Palisades Pond, where I lived for some years. It was a backwater pond of the river just past Tollgate Rock west of town. Age takes its toll as I can’t remember whether he served in the army or navy, but was serving on gunboats on the Mekong Delta of Vietnam when he died in 1967. He was a 1966 graduate of Green River High School.
Last is Robert Maurer, son of the resident manager of Stauffer Chemical, who tried to talk Rob out of volunteering. Rob later went through OCS and became an army second lieutenant when he died of “friendly fire” in Vietnam in 1969. A GRHS 1967 scholar, he played sports, loved science and technology, and would try about anything.
All who knew him had high expectations for his future, but alas, cut down in his youth. Another patriot who was willing to sacrifice his life in an action that wouldn’t receive much appreciation until years later.
I know that I will carry my survivor’s guilt all the days of my life and whenever I think of these three, there will always be a fear in my eye and a lump in my throat.
I am one of the fortunate veterans of that conflict in that I’ve been able to have a family and a good life, unlike these three young servicemen.
Please remember these three in future editions of Salute to the Troops.
Larry Curry
Mesquite, Nev.
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