John Michael Rydlewicz
First Lieutenant
19TH TAC AIR SPT SQDN, 504TH TAC AIR SPT GROUP, 7TH AF
United States Air Force
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
April 19, 1947 to August 12, 1971
JOHN M RYDLEWICZ is on the Wall at Panel W3, Line 130

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Dear John,

I've thought of you often since I heard you died in Vietnam. We weren't best friends or anything, but I admired you my junior year as you went about the business of being a senior and co-editor-in-chief of the school paper. "Ridloowits" we called you. You were so serious; you were in love with Anne (your co-editor whom you married and of whom I was in awe), you ran track, hurdles I think it was, and you were such a good writer. Pius just had a reunion for the classes of '64 (yours), '65 (mine), and '66. We had it in the old gym, and I toasted you and shed a tear.

You shouldn't have died, John. I was so sad to hear you were in the Air Force and in Vietnam. I opposed the war, thought it wrong, thought the warmakers were lying to us (they admitted much too late they were - but I guess you know that now). But you were a straight arrow, good kid of the early '60s, a "What can I do for my country" kind of guy. Nobody blames you, John; we blame the people who lied and sent you to your death.

Be at peace, John. I will never forget you or the promise of your young life.


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