John Edwin LutzePrivate First ClassD CO, 2ND BN, 22ND INFANTRY, 25 INF DIV Army of the United States 06 September 1948 - 08 November 1968 Flint, Michigan Panel 39W Line 037 |
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The database page for John Edwin Lutze
"Jackie" and I were born 13 days apart, our fathers were brothers. Our folks would visit at least once a week; most of the time it was more like two or three times a week. Summertimes were the best time, our folks would put a tent in the back yard and we would sleep out. Other times we would go across the road to the woods to play cowboy or soldier. There always seemed to be enough kids and adults to get up a ball game in the backyard. In 1962, I remember coming home from school as my father was just going out the door to the hospital. That night, as I lay in bed, my father came home. I remember these words he said to my mother "He's gone". His brother, your father, had died. That was the first and only time I heard my father cry. The spring of 1968 brought the draft to both of us, to a place halfway around world, to place we never heard of. As I remember I received a letter from a girlfriend. In it she asked, "Do you have cousin named John? if so he was killed in Vietnam." It hit me like a ton of bricks. After coming home from the Army I tried to go to the cemetery to your grave, but I couldn't. See, I never got to say goodbye to cousin who I grew up with and loved. A few years ago my family and I visited the "Wall" in D.C. Seeing your name, touching it, was like touching you after so many years. Yes, it seems like only yesterday that we were doing all those fun things kids do. Yes ... only yesterday.
Larry D Lutze
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A Note from The Virtual WallOn 08 Nov 1968 four men were killed in an action 17 kilometers southeast of Tay Ninh City:
Medics on the Wall memorial which honors the Army Medics and Navy Corpsmen who died in Vietnam. |
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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 9 Jul 2001
Last updated 08/10/2009