Do you know anyone whose name is on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial? If you’ve never checked before, there’s a web application now that lets you search the names and get information about them. A search for ‘tanton’ came up with one name:
* Title/Collection: Vietnam Veterans Memorial
* Full Name: Tanton, Charlie Thomas
* Country: South Vietnam
* Sheet Number: 1
* Rank: Staff Sergeant
* Grade: E6
* Specialty: General Vehicle Repairman (ARMY)
* Hometown: Phenix City
* Home State: AL
* Race: Caucasian
* Religion: Protestant - No Denominational Preference
* Marital Status: Married
* Gender: Male
* Date Of Birth: 07 Jan 1935
* Tour Start Date: 26 Oct 1970
* Casualty Date: 27 Jun 1971
* Death Date: 27 Jun 1971
* Age: 36
* Casualty Type: Non-Hostile, Died of Other Causes
* Died Of: Accidental Self-Destruction
My dad’s side of the family is from Alabama, so it’s not impossible we’re related, but when I asked my dad he said he didn’t know. My dad was stationed in Germany during Vietnam, fortunately.
Your Dave Mastio disclaimer on feeds is genius.
Thanks. The best part is it fills out the entire description on the BNN listing.
It’s unfortunate, but it would appear that the interactive Wall is suffering from overload and error. Great idea, though. In fact, a little further exploration around the main Footnote site is impressing me quite a bit, though it seems to be stumbling over its own lack of bandwidth as well.
Accidental self-destruction? Wow. Scary.
In 1997 a small group of relatives and buddies of some of those who died in Vietnam opened the web site named The Virtual Wall (TM) at http://www.VirtualWall.org. The Virtual Wall has published thousands of personal tributes, photographs, and letters honoring the fallen.
Thousands of relatives and buddies have been able to contact each other by posting their email address or using the anonymous email forwarding of The Virtual Wall.
The Virtual Wall does not accept or charge a fee or donation, and does not have advertising. The purpose of The Virtual Wall is to honor the fallen and to help the relatives and buddies of the fallen to ensure that person will not be forgotten.
A handfull of veterans have built, maintained, and constantly update the Coffelt database, which is periodically given the the National Archives for use as their Vietnam Casualty database.
My Father
Title/Collection: Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Full Name: Adams, Herbert Norman
Country: South Vietnam
Sheet Number: 1
Rank: Specialist Fifth Class
Grade: E5
Specialty: Not available
Hometown: Vinings
Home State: GA
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Methodist
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Male
Date Of Birth: 11 Feb 1945
Tour Start Date: 23 Dec 1965
Casualty Date: 10 May 1966
Death Date: 10 May 1966
Age: 20
Casualty Type: Non-Hostile, Died of Other Causes
Died Of: Air Loss, Crash - Land
Charlie Thomas Tanton was my great grand Father. I never met him.