There are twenty-five or so volunteers involved in the project, “The Wall of Faces,” whose goal is linking photographs of 58,000+ deceased Vietnam Veterans to their names on the wall in Washington, DC. They’ve been working slowly but surely towards getting a photo for each one.

They scour genealogical websites, newspaper obituary pages from fifty years ago. They look for local newspapers and high school yearbooks and boot camp photos, next of kin sources, and newspapers’ “morgue” sites.

It’s a daunting task but people like Janna Hoehn of Hawaii and Jackie Hatton of Oklahoma are up to the job. They are steadfast and relentless in their pursuit of information for the “Wall of Faces.”

Not all sources are forthcoming as some simply don’t want to be reminded of the tragedy in their lives – the loss of a loved one is difficult under any circumstances, to relive it over and over is sometimes simply too much to bear. Others just don’t want to be bothered. Public libraries are a reliable source, but again, for whatever reason they either don’t have the time or the incentive to research. New York City in particular is a special problem. When an individual was drafted or enlisted, often the clerk would write NYC as home of record not realizing New York is comprised of five boroughs and those boroughs have several dozen micro municipalities (Queens alone has perhaps sixty.) It’s a time-consuming job, but one that needs to be done, say Jackie Hatton and Janna Hoehn. “They gave the last full measure and deserve every ounce of respect and recognition we can give them.”

The “Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation’s Virtual Wall” was a rich resource but the volunteers have exhausted that, having used every photo they could find. They’ve come up short some one hundred fifty photos. Janna stopped counting when she’d found over seven thousand photos, but continues the job. Most of the work is done using home computers and the telephone. The ladies reached out to V.V.A. President John Rowan, who in turn contacted me. They need your help. Included with this story is a list of the names for which they need photographs. If you know these guys, served with them, grew up with or went to school with any of them, please contact the “Wall of Faces” Project. Janna Hoehn at neverforgotten2014@gmail.com or Jackie Hatton at jackiehatton@cox.net.

CALIFORNIA
Smith, Vernon Parr(Jan 17, 1947 – Feb 5, 1968)
GEORGIA
Thomas, Fred L.(May 26, 1943 – Aug 15, 1966)
Whitehead, Clarence Albert(May 19, 1935 – Mar 25, 1966)
Thacker, Grady(Oct 4, 1945- Apr 13, 1968)
NEW YORK
Bellinger, Ronald Lee(Jul 8, 1947 – Jul 3, 1968)
Brown, Roger(Jun 13, 1949 – Apr 9, 1969)
Bynoe, Miguel Antonio(Oct 3, 1948 – Sep 17, 1971)
Caballero, Henry John(Dec 27, 1950 – Jul 3, 1969)
Calhoun, Steven Brian(Feb 12, 1947 – May 18, 1969)
Callwood, Gladston(Nov 12, 1947 – Jun 11, 1968)
Caraballo, Hector Luis(Jun 24, 1948 – Mar 5, 1970)
Clayton, Alfred Patrick(Aug 21, 1942 – Dec 8, 1968)
Dowell, Gilbert(May 4, 1951 – Mar 5, 1971)
Edwards, Eugene(Feb 27, 1950 –Nov 30, 1970)
Green, Jr., George Richard(Jul 25, 1946-May 5, 1969)
Hassell, Norman Winston(Apr 14, 1943 – Jun 1, 1968)
Johnson, Leroy(Jan 21, 1942 – Feb 1, 1968)
Jones, Jerry(Jul 4, 1946 – Sep 30, 1968)
Lennon, Jerry(Nov 19, 1947 – May 4, 1968)
Lisboa, Rafael(Aug 28, 1948 – Sep 24, 1967)
Madison, Frank Anthony(Nov 16, 1945 – Apr 12, 1967)
Marable, Jr., Walter A.(Oct 6, 1944 – Oct 27, 1967)
Mendez, Jr., Ismael(Jan 15, 1950 – Dec 28, 1968)
Muniz-Garcia, Luis Ernesto(Oct 17, 1949 – Nov 9, 1970)
Myers, Thomas Wayne(Dec 13, 1946 – May 7, 1968)
Ortiz-Rivera, Jr., Anibal(Dec 9, 1947 – Apr 25, 1968)
Oyola, Hector David(Apr 13, 1949 – Aug 14, 1970)
Palmer, Walter (may have a middle initial of “C.”) (Aug 9, 1948 – May 17, 1969)
Quinones, David(Oct 13, 1946 – Feb 3, 1968)
Rivera, Carlos Manuel(Jun 18, 1939 – Aug 10, 1968)
Rivera, Miguel Angel(June 29, 1948 – Mar 21, 1969)
Rivera-Cruz, Cristobal(Feb 14, 1951 – Jun 7, 1970)
Roach, Sylvester(Feb 5, 1943 – Dec 26, 1968)
Rountree, Jr., Harvey F.(Feb 3, 1950 – Jul 15, 1969)
Sanchez, Cesar Ernesto(Oct 26, 1938 – Feb 26, 1967)
Stuckey, Henry James(Dec 6, 1946 – Jan 10, 1967)
Thompson, William Matt(Sep 12, 1919 – Apr 6, 1968)
Torres, Vincent R.(Jun 29, 1948 – Jan 4, 1967)
Vega-Diaz, Hector Manuel (Nov 10, 1948 – Mar 8, 1969)
PUERTO RICO
Acevedo-Millan, Angel Luis(Feb 23, 1949 – Nov 28, 1969)
Alcocer-Martinez, Hector M. (Feb 11, 1941 – Jan 13, 1967)
Barbosa-Villafane, Antonio(Sep 4, 1946 – Feb 4, 1966)
Benitez-Rivera, Jose Emilio (Apr 26, 1947 – Jun 22, 1968)
Bermudez-Pacheco, Enrique(Sep 9, 1947 – Aug 9, 1967)
Burgos-Cruzado, Angel Luis (Mar 14, 1945 – May 6, 1968)
Calderon-Pacheco, Jose A.(Apr 10, 1948 – Jun 4, 1969)
Carmona-Medina, Rafael Cecilio(Nov 22, 1941 – Nov 12, 1965)
Castro-Morales, Ramon(Sep 10, 1947 – Dec 17, 1968)
Concepcion-Nieves, David(Oct 9, 1949 – Jun 10, 1970)
Diaz-Collazo, Miguel Angel(Nov 13, 1947 – Feb 13, 1968)
Diaz-Domenech, Juan A. (Oct 30, 1948 – Sep 23, 1969)
Diaz-Roman, Carmelo (Jun 11, 1944 – Apr 1, 1969)
Garcia-Maldonado, Jose I. (Mar 18, 1947 – Apr 30, 1967)
Gonzalez-Maldonada, Manuel (actual name may be Manuel Rafael Gonzalez-Maldonado, there is an “o” on the end of his name instead of an “a” on his grave stone) (Jan 1, 1944 – Oct 22, 1965)
Gonzalez-Martinez, Angel L.(Jan 23, 1947 – Jun 9, 1968)
Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Ramon (Dec 21, 1946 – May 19, 1967)
Gonzalez-Velez, Joel Humbe(Mar 27, 1946 – Feb 2, 1968)
Guzman-Pagan, Jorge Luis (Jun 28, 1948 – Jan 26, 1969)
Irizarry-Acevedo, Daniel(Mar 1, 1948 – Mar 8, 1969)
Irizarry-Hernandez, Angel (Oct 2, 1943 – Oct 13, 1967)
Isales-Benitez, Jorge Luis (Dec 10, 1942 – Jun 3, 1966)
Lebron-Maldonado, Rogelio (Apr 18, 1936 – Oct 25, 1968)
Lopez-Agosto, Felix Manuel (Apr 7, 1945 – Jan 11, 1967)
Lopez-Colon, Juan Antonio (May 12, 1942 – Feb 17, 1966)
Maldonado-Aguilar, Benjamin (Oct 27, 1947 – Feb 5, 1969)
Martinez-Quiles, Jr. Juan A. (Mar 15, 1948 – Nov 23, 1968)
Mendez, Walter Xabier (Aug 18, 1951 – Feb 1, 1971)
Miranda-Ortiz, Jose Luis (Jan 28, 1936 – Nov 30, 1967)
Narvaez-Marrero, Andres Lu (May 7, 1947 – Apr 23, 1968)
Oquendo-Gutierrez, Ramon (Aug 10, 1947 – Jun 9, 1968)
Ortiz-Colon, Ulises(Nov 3, 1947 – Oct 29, 1966)
Ortiz-Negron, Jose Juan(Oct 4, 1948 – Nov 24, 1968)
Ortiz-Rivera, Juan(Jun 24, 1942 – Dec 28, 1967)
Ortiz-Rodriguez, Angel (May 1, 1941 – Mar 9, 1967)
Overman-Rodriguez, Jose R.(Nov 15, 1928 – Feb 24, 1969)
Pagan-Rodriguez, Enangelis (Mar 23, 1945 – Nov 26, 1966)
Pena-Class, Raul (Jan 5, 1948 – Mar 13, 1968)
Perez-Cruz, Luis Antonio(Jan 22, 1943 – Nov 4, 1966)
Perez-Vergara, Alberto(Feb 27, 1940 – Mar 13, 1966)
Pizarro-Colon, Marcos(Jul 17, 1950 – Aug 11, 1970)
Quiles-Hernandez, Antonio (May 10, 1950 – Apr 18, 1971)
Ramos-Jimenez, Raul(Nov 14, 1944 – Jun 13, 1968)
Rivera-Martes, Confesor (Nov 24, 1928 – Apr 1, 1967)
Rodriguez-Cotto, Angel L.(Jun 15, 1949 – Jul 30, 1969)
Rodriguez-Rivera, Jaime(Aug 27, 1948 – Apr 27, 1970)
Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Pedro(Dec 6, 1948 – Jul 16, 1969)
Santos-Vega, Marcelino(Jun 2, 1922 – Jun 17, 1966)
Sosa-Hiraldo, Carmelo(Jan 27, 1947 – Aug 24, 1968)
Torres-Lopez, Rigoberto(Oct 5, 1947 – Jun 16, 1968)
Torres-Rodriguez, Jose R.(Feb 15, 1949 – May 1, 1969)
Tosado-Hernandez, Victor M.(Feb 12, 1946 – Aug 28, 1966)
Vadi-Rodriguez Alberto(sometimes shown as Vadirodriguez,) (Mar 4, 1950 – Mar 17, 1972)
Velazquez-Lopez, Victor R.(Jul 14, 1947 – Nov 10, 1967)
Velez-Villamil, Juan Manue(Jan 4, 1950 – Feb 21, 1969)
Villegas-Vila, Hector(Nov 18, 1948 – Nov 25, 1969)
Zayas-Castro, Reinaldo(Feb 10, 1941 – May 4, 1966)