02 Aug 2006 ...But Not Forgotten Almost thirty-seven years ago, September 13th, 1969, to be exact, I lost my closest friend to the Vietnam War. It seems like only yesterday that we were fixing up our cars, going to concerts, just being teenagers. I was very proud to be his best man when he was married while on leave before he left to go over to Vietnam. The tearful departure at the airport when he left was the toughest thing I would have to go through in our lives - I thought. In his last letter that I received, two days after he had been killed, he wrote how great it was going to be for us to go fishing again together as soon as he returned home. He was only 19 years old, the average age of the more than 58,000 people who were killed. All of them went during a period of national uncertainty; that when some avoided going because of that uncertainty, they went anyway. They also went willingly, anxious to answer their Country's call. Many went reluctantly, out of a sense of duty while many went bitterly, only because they were told to go. A great number of them went and paid a price, which they continue to this day to pay; and many paid the ultimate price, which their families pay today and will pay for thousands of tomorrows. The Vietnam War caused the despair, sometimes the destruction, and always the never-ending heartbreak of families everywhere. I am one of those, for you see, that good friend whom I mentioned at the beginning of this letter was my identical twin brother, Steven Danny Lund. We as Americans will always remember and honor those who served, those who gave their lives, and those who are unaccounted for ...But Not Forgotten From his brother, Bob Lund bob.lund@slcc.edu

 

Notes from The Virtual Wall The 3/3 Marines' Command Chronology contains the following entry for 13 Sep 1969: "1905H - In the area of XD944610 elements of Company L stopped as a scout dog alerted. A [illegible] was brought up and the NVA opened fire with small arms, ChiComs [grenades], and RPGs. The point withdrew and began to receive 82mm mortar. Artillery, 81mm mortars, and a C47 gunship were called in on the enemy position. Results of the contact were 1 NVA KIA, 2 USMC KIA, and 19 USMC WIA." The NVA force was estimated to be two companies in size. The two Marines killed in the action were the Lima Company commander, 1stLt James A. Burns of Granby, CT, and LCpl Steven D. Lund, Bountiful, UT. As an aside, the actual average age for all the men and women who died as a result of service in Vietnam was 22.8 years. For enlisted personnel only, the average age was 21.9 years.

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