New Memorial Pages work has begun

[Jim Sheppard]

Have added memorial pages for the following men: Queen, Raulston, Roberts, Robson, Sabourin, Sachaschik, Salema, Sanders, W. Sims, L. Smith. Less than 30 to go!

[Jim Sheppard]

Have added 11 more memorial pages: Snelson, Standridge, Stanich, Stell, Stephenson, Strohn, Strouse, Tabor, Tadena, Thomas, A. and Thomas, C.

Nearing the end of this first phase...as I have only about a dozen more to do. Hope to be done within the next week.

[Jim Sheppard]

Last night I posted up the final memorial page for all those listed on our memorial plus the new additions. Now I will be going back over these, alphabetically again, adding awards and other information and photos that have come in while I concentrated on completing this imitial "formation" process. This should move faster, but I will now take time to assembly a list of men for whom we still need to find a photo. As part of the process, I will be working more closely with our volunteer Barbara Daniels, who specializes in finding folks for us.

Before I start that process in earnest (After the reunion) I will be working to prepare for our gathering in Georgia next month. I have to decide what to do about Document CD's and framed material for sale to support our Archives and document collection efforts. I have in mind a framed, matted enlarged photo I have of the down & buring Chopper from May 5th, 1968...with the smoke from the battle visable in the distance. I will also include a final list of An Bao Casualties, which reads as follows: KIAS: Alpha Co: 11, HHC: 1 (Medic) Charlie Co: 2 and Bravo Co: 2. 69th Armor lost 2 and the 4 men KIA on the chopper from 17th Aviation that was shot down....for a grand total of 22. I may stick with the old system of 3 CD's for the three time frames (67-8, 1969 & 1970) plus a map DVD...and may add a CD with new files acquired over the last 2 years....or I may see if I can squeeze all the afforementioned o n 2 DVDs.

When you have time, "browse" the new memorial pages and see if you notice any mistakes or missing information you can help with. There are several men I could find no documentation on...and you might be able to help. The Memorial Pages are linked from both the Photo ALbum page and from the In Memoriam pages. Simply click on any man's name on those pages.

Also...over the next year, I will create memorial pages for all the men from "E" anf "F" designations in Vietnam who were killed in action. I have already created their folders and have some documentation and photos gathered. I will also make a trip to the National Archives Text Records facility in College Park, MD, and gather the documents on those LRP units located there. Over the years, we have had quite a few of these men contact us...a few are on our e-mail page as well.

I believe, eventually, we will want to present an accurate list of all 50th Infantry designations killed in Vietnam to the current day battalion at Fort Benning...probably in notebook form, much like the book they currently keep for their men trained who were killed in both Iraq Wars and Afghanistan.

Finally, the final tally of men ASSIGNED to the 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry was 162 Killed in action. We have many more on our pages....since we have included attached personnel and we have left on the 30-some men we though were ours, but who were not. We have also listed men who were with us at one time or another and eventually killed while serving with other units. Eventually I will break all the names down by those catagories.

[RJ_Smith]

Hi Jim, all the memorial work looks fantastic . I can't comment on the accuracy since I'm just the "web guy" but I know how much work it's been putting it together!!