210531 May 31, 2021
Memorial Day, 2021
Tommy Towery
LHS '64
Once again we honor the only classmate from the Classes of '64-'65 or '66 who was killed while on active duty in the military serving his country. That classmate was Capt. Dennis Faber of the Class of '65. Dennis, serving as navigator, and seven other crewmen were killed during a C-130 training mission near Little Rock, Arkansas, on Sept. 8, 1978. Dennis was married to Cherri Polly, LHS '66 at the time.
Capt. Dennis Faber of the Class of '65
The Lee High School Class of '67 had five who gave their all in Vietnam. Their names are listed below:
1. Jimmy Kiger (USMC)
Casualty was on Sep 17, 1966
in QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
2. Frankie Acton (US Army)
His tour of duty began on May 20, 1965
Casualty was on Apr 11, 1966
SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
3. David Mallory (USMC)
His tour of duty began on Jan 17, 1969
Casualty was on Feb 25, 1969
in QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
OTHER EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
4. Sam Smith (US Army)
His tour of duty began on Feb 06, 1968
Casualty was on Jul 14, 1968
in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
OTHER EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
5. James Edmond Huff (USMC)
His tour of duty began on 12/23/1966
Casualty was on 10/27/1967
QUANG NAM PROVINCE, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
DROWNED OR SUFFOCATED
Memphis, TN - My father did not die in combat, even though he was severely wounded when he landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Therefore, I cannot celebrate his life and sacrifices on Memorial Day. Veteran's Day is designed for those like him. But he did receive a military funeral when he died. I wore my Air Force uniform when I attended his funeral. If you can listen to Taps being played at a funeral for a family member or friend without getting tears in your eyes you are a stronger man than I. After Taps was played and the flag was removed from his casket and folded with military honors, a soldier bent down and presented it to me with the words "“On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service.” That is a moment anyone who has ever experienced will never forget. After selecting to make the military a career I have attended many such ceremonies and looked upon the faces of the loved ones of my friends as they experienced the same hallow ceremony. To all of my departed friends, I honor their memory this year at Memorial Day. This year I will once again be attending a local ceremony, and will wear the uniform I wore for 20 years in respect to their sacrifices.
Telegraph Responses from Last Week
It appears using telegraphs for communications for our generation was rarer than I thought. We only had one classmate respond to our survey about telegraphs.
Pam Grooms Smith, LHS '65, "In 1970 I sent a telegram to my husband who was stationed in Nuremburg, Germany to let him know when to meet me at the Frankfurt airport."
From Our Mailbox
Subject: No Mail This Week.
