March 29, 2019
Vietnam Veterans honored at ceremony
When war hero Famous Lee Lane was honored Friday by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #1056 during the group’s Vietnam Veterans Day program at Three Rivers College, his niece Mary Ann Barber said through tears, “it means so much somebody finally cares.”...
When war hero Famous Lee Lane was honored Friday by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #1056 during the group’s Vietnam Veterans Day program at Three Rivers College, his niece Mary Ann Barber said through tears, “it means so much somebody finally cares.”
Lane, of Poplar Bluff, won the Distinguished Service Cross, which is the second highest military award that can be given to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force.
Lane died April 20, 1966 when his unit, which was a part of Company A Second Battalion came under fire in Vietnam. Lane took his machine gun and ran ahead of his group driving back enemy fire so his fellow soldiers could move to safety. He held the enemy off until he had to reload his gun.
Mary Ann and her husband, Kenneth Barber, of Maryland Heights, Missouri, learned Wednesday about the ceremony and decided to attend.
“My memories are painful,” she recalls of the funeral. “They threw things at us and spit at us. He gave his life for this country.”
Mary Ann said Lane was the oldest son of Julia Wilson, her grandmother, “which was a big thing to the family.” He attended Wheatley School and played basketball for the Mules, she said.
He boxed while he was in the service and at one time was the champion at Fort Bragg.
“He was fun loving and had a heart as big as gold,” said Mary Ann, adding while he was all military, he was always doing something to get a stripe taken away.
The theme for the day was giving Vietnam veterans and their families a long overdue ‘thank you and salute.”
In his welcome, TRC President Dr. Wes Payne told the veterans “your service is honored and important,” adding “thank you for your service.”
“You are appreciated and we believe you are true American heroes, you are important to your country, community, college,” Payne said. “Because of you, we are able to serve people who are free. We are committed. We take your service seriously. I want to welcome you and again and say ‘thank you.’ “
Payne introduced LCDR Larry Kimbrow, USN (Ret.) and president of the VVA Chapter 1056, as a retired professor at TRC and “a true friend.”
John J. Pershing VA Medical Center Chaplain Bruce Waring offered the invocation, in which he thanked God for having kept the veterans safe in so many dangerous situations and prayed, “Father give us faith to trust you.”
U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, who represents Missouri’s Eighth Congressional district said, “Vietnam veterans were never thanked the proper way. It is painful for our country. It taught a lot of lessons. One lesson is every single person who wears that uniform deserves a hero’s welcome. Thank you as a Missouri citizen and as your congressman.”
Smith told the vets, “my office is your office. I work for you and my team is there for you.”
He said he will help them get the medals they have never received.
“We will make sure our government is working you,” he added. “Thank you very much and welcome home.”
Dr. Patricia Hall, director of the VA Medical Center, thanked the veterans and their families. ”Sadly, too many of you did not receive a thank you,” she said.
Calling this a “newer era involving at our VAHC,” Hall said, she personally is asking “all of you to reach out together” to tell someone about available services.
“We are stronger together and can offer more services. My office is always open to you,” she said.
State Rep. Jeff Shawan of District 153 presented Lane’s family the flag that flew over of the Missouri Capitol on Thursday. Also attending were State Sen. Doug Libla and State Rep. Hardy Billington of District 152.
Bardis Dismuke, VVA Chapter 1056 treasurer, presented the Salute to Fallen Vietnam Veterans as well as the POW/MIA Ceremony.
James Todd, who sang the Armed Forces Medley early in the programs, said, “freedom is not free and it must be fought for,” especially dedicating “God Bless the USA” to Lane and his family.
In the benediction, Bill Hager, a board member of the VVA Chapter 1056, thanked God “for a country where one can stand for the flag and kneel at the cross.”
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Area soldiers killed in Vietnam listed by hometown:
BERNIE: SSG Jimmy Joe Butler WO John David McCluskey BERTRAND: SP5 Carl Sherrell Mays BLOOMFIELD: SP4 Jesse Ray Hughes Jr. PFC Carroll Leon Welty BRAGG CITY: TSGT Windol Wilson McNatt BRAGGADOCIO: SGT Floyd Stanley Franklin BROSELEY: SP4 Loyde Dean Armor PFC Michael Ray Goins PVT Rodney Wilson CAMPBELL: SP4 Eddie Lee Pleasant CARDWELL: PFC Ellis Sanford Marlin PFC Ira Albert Price CATRON: PFC Curtis Lee Williams CARUTHERSVILLE: SGT Glennie Wayne Cain PVT Walter Clarence Lee CLARKTON: PFC Kenneth Dale McKoin DEXTER: SGT Curtis Dean Eskew LCPL Kenneth Wayne Parker PFC George Alan Kiger SP4 Donald Richard Mayberry 1 LT George Kenton Sisler DONIPHAN: SP4 Oren Lee Crook PFC Laffey Franklin Strait SP4 Jerry Lee Wilson DUDLEY: PFC Lee Roy Stafford ESSEX: CPL Marshall Junior O’Neal MSGT Wendell L. Payne GIDEON: SGT Donnie L. Cunningham CPL Mathew Theodore Orton CPL Bobby Truman Siegler SP4 Robert Andrew Street GRANDIN CPL John A. Gibson GREENVILLE: PFC Robert Page HARVIELL: SGT Earnest Dale Menley SSG Bobbie Gene Wooten HOLCOMB: CPL George W. Childress HORNERSVILLE: PFC Gerald Lynn James KENNETT: SGT Dennie Lynn Carnett SSG Bogard Lafayette Floyd PFC Jimmy Dale Moody SP4 Frankie Leon Priest PO1 Stephen Duane Wood KINDER: PFC John Wayne Colbert LILBOURN: LCPL Isaac Jones LCPL Williard L. Williams MALDEN: SGT Richard Thomas Blake SGT Ronald Lee Holtzhouser SGT Raymond Allen May SP5 Bruce Anthony Nelson CWO David Lee Varvell LTC Billie Joe Williams NEELYVILLE: SFC Harold Utah Hays NEW MADRID: SP4 Jewell Edmond McClatchey PFC Charles Edward Patterson SGT Clifford James Rush SP5 Allison A. Westbrook Jr. CPL Larry Joe Williams PARMA: SP5 Harold W. Reinbott Jr. PATTERSON: SP4 Dickie Davis Trinkler PO3 James William Webb Jr. POPLAR BLUFF: LCPL Ronald D. Cobb MAJ Freddie Dale Dickens PFC Michael Lee Endicott SP4 Garclee M. Fredwell SP4 Harold Ray Harris SP4 Dale Francis Hudson SP4 Famous Lee Lane COL James Hardin Metz PFC Paul James Miller SP4 Edward Jerry Miller LCPL Riley David Raulston CPL Robert Daniel Richardson A1C Charles Harold Stepp SP4 George Edward Steward SP4 James Edward Tinsley PORTAGEVILLE: PFC Larry Gene Barham PFC Joe Paul Klipfel PFC Ronald Douglas Richardson PO2 Lester Riley Jr. PUXICO: SP4 Richard Henry Keith QULIN: LCPL Jerry Edward Hancock RISCO: SGT Robert Allen Jines SIKESTON: SGT1C Leslie Leroy Karnes LCPL David Boardman STEELE: PFC Otis Lee Allen SSG Joe Roscoe Boswel SP4 Edward Smith STURDIVANT: WO Orval Wade McLeary WILLIAMSVILLE: Sp4 Michael Douglas Holmes SP4 Gary Beryl Duncan
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