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.

  The Lee High School Class of '67 had five who gave their all in Vietnam. Their names are listed below:

1. James A. "Jimmy" Kiger (USMC)

Casualty was on Sep 17, 1966

in QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM

HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY

GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE 

BIRTH 19 Dec 1947

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA

DEATH 17 Sep 1966 (aged 18)

Quảng Trị, Vietnam

BURIAL

Huntsville Memory Gardens

Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, USA  Show Map

MEMORIAL ID 66076926 · View Source

2. Marion J. "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 

BIRTH 1 Sep 1947

Siluria, Shelby County, Alabama, USA

DEATH 11 Apr 1966 (aged 18)

Vietnam

BURIAL

Elliottsville Cemetery

Alabaster, Shelby County, Alabama, USA

MEMORIAL ID 137129678 · View Source

3. David H. 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 

David the son of George Mallory and June A. Mallory of Huntsville Alabama enlisted in the US Marine Corps on July 16 1968 in Nashville TN. He arrived in Vietnam on January 17 1969 where he was assigned to and served with Company H, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d MARDIV (Rein) FMF.

During the second half of February the Battalion assumed responsibility for the defense of FSB (Fire Support Base) Russell, FSB Neville, FSB Cates, Hill 691 and Hill 950 in northern Quang Tri Province. Company H was assigned in the defence of FSB Neville and had been reporting sighting of NVA movement towards their location and on the night of February 24 the Marines came under a heavy enemy attack. A barrage of mortar fire hit the compound followed by a fierce ground attack with sappers breaking though the wire and throwing satchel charges into the defensive positions. Fighting continued until dawn, ten Marines were killed in the battle and many more were wounded, one of the casualties was PFC David Mallory who was killed by fragmentation wounds from a hostile satchel charge.

BIRTH 18 Jul 1949

Opelika, Lee County, Alabama, USA

DEATH 22 Feb 1969 (aged 19)

Quảng Trị, Vietnam

BURIAL

Huntsville Memory Gardens

Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, USA

PLOT Garden of Devotion, Lot 119B, space 1

MEMORIAL ID 133961339 · View Source

4. Samuel Thomas "Sam" Smith, Jr. (USMC)

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 

BIRTH 19 Jun 1949

DEATH 14 Jul 1968 (aged 19)

BURIAL

Maple Hill Cemetery

Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, USA

PLOT Block 36, Row 15, Lot 133

MEMORIAL ID 121107874 · View Source

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

BIRTH 20 Feb 1948

Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA

DEATH 27 Oct 1967 (aged 19)

Vietnam

BURIAL

Huntsville Memory Gardens

Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, USA  Show Map

MEMORIAL ID 111070405 · View Source

Stanley Reed Lewter

BIRTH 24 Dec 1947

USA

DEATH 1 Mar 1968 (aged 20)

Vietnam

BURIAL

Gatlin Cemetery

Ardmore, Limestone County, Alabama, USA

PLOT Area 3, Section 1, Row 10

MEMORIAL ID 16720958 · View Source

AWARDS BY DATE OF ACTION: 1 of 1

Silver Star

The Silver Star Medal is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING Vietnam War

Service: Army

Rank: Specialist Fourth Class

GENERAL ORDERS:

Headquarters, 1st Aviation Brigade, General Orders No. 1509 (March 17, 1968)

CITATION: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Specialist Fourth Class Stanley Reed Lewter (ASN: RA-12936774), United States Army, for gallantry in action in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force. Specialist Fourth Class Lewter distinguished himself while serving as Crew Chief aboard a UH-1D transport helicopter of the 118th Assault Helicopter Company, 1st Aviation Brigade, involved in a combat assault mission. The aircraft in which he was flying was leading a formation of helicopters. As the flight neared the landing zone the order was given to open fire, and Specialist Fourth Class Lewter began to put a large volume of accurate fire upon the enemy. As the flight began the final approach, Specialist Lewter notified the Aircraft Commander that they were receiving heavy enemy fire from his side of the landing zone, and that one of the Vietnamese soldiers had been wounded in the throat. In an attempt to save the life of the soldier he gallantly pulled the wounded man into his compartment, and while still putting down a hail of defensive fire with one hand, he attempted to stop the bleeding from the wound of the Vietnamese soldier with the other, and at the same time informing the Aircraft Commander of the exact location of the enemy. As the aircraft touched down into the landing zone, Specialist Lewter was hit and knocked away from his gun. With complete disregard for his wound he continued to protect the lives of his crew by the vast volume of fire which he continued to fire at the enemy. He was directly responsible for the success of this mission. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Coins on Veterans' Headstones

Memorial Day is a very personal day to me since I was on active duty for 20 years and lost several friends during that time. 

Remember, Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

Though they do not qualify to be a part of the Memorial Day memorials, since they did not die on active duty - I still lost three of my very good Air Force friends in the last few months.

This week we once again honor our classmates who were killed while on active duty serving our country. Whether it was the Cold War or the Vietnam War, they still gave their lives for our freedom. This year I have added some more information on the places where they are buried. All but two of them is buried in Huntsville and their cemetaries are listed.

I would like someone to give me a little more information on Frankie Acton. I looked in all the yearbooks I had and I could not find him in any of them. Did he transfer out of Lee before graduation or just not get his photo taken. Someone, at some time, gave me his name as a Lee High School student to be included in our list of classmates killed in Vietnam.

Also this week our prayers go out to Sherry Adcock White, LHS '64, on the loss of her husband Ronnie White.  Although I never got to know Ronnie very well, Sherry has been a dear friend of mine since before we were in the same class at Lee Junior High. His obituary was published by The Huntsville Times from May 23 to May 25, 2022.

This Week's Questions, Answers, Comments

Brenda Cagle Bell, "I wait every month to see the Traveler. Thank you Tommy for all your hard work."

Editor's Response, "Brenda, I hope you wait every week, and not just every month. Thanks for the complement."

Max Kull, "May not be right (about L-7)  but I heard that if you make an L with one hand and a 7 with the other...and then put them together, it forms a square - hence, "Let's not be a square."

Photographic Memories - Who Are They?

Each week I plan to share a group of photos from the 1960 "The General" yearbook without disclosing the names of the individuals. You may stop and try to identify them here, and when you are through you may scroll to the bottom of this page to see the identities of your classmates in the photos.

SWINGIN' MEDALLIONS-"DOUBLE SHOT OF MY BABY'S LOVE"

Several years ago I heard that the Lee High School Class of '66 considered this song as their class song.

The band was formed as The Medallions in 1962 adding the "Swingin'" in 1965. Their first single, "I Wanna Be Your Guy", was inadvertently released under the name, "Swinging Medallions" instead of "Swingin' Medallions". It did not chart, but the second, "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)", written by Don Smith and Cyril Vetter and originally recorded by Dick Holler and the Holidays, reached No. 17 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1966, and propelled their album to No. 88 on the Billboard 200. 

In the early-1960s, they frequently played at the Oporto Armory in Birmingham, Alabama where their songs got national airplay by Dave Roddy on WSGN. The band was also a popular attraction in Panama City Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Auburn University.

The band (with a shifting cast) continued to do reunion shows into the 2000s.