Vietnam, Thoughts and Reflections

This site is dedicated to the men and women who served in Vietnam.

The purpose of this site is to share thoughts, memories, feelings and experiences of those whose lives have been touched in some way by our involvement in Vietnam.

If you have a Home Page, poem or anything you've written or would like to write expressing how your life has been touched and would like to share it, I'd like to include it on this site.

My name's Phil Thornton and I served in Vietnam with A Co., 4/21, 11 LIB, Americal Division from January 1969 to January 1970. Although my honest and deep feelings about this time in my life were difficult to express verbally, I always felt better after writing about them. I never shared the writings with anyone. I disposed of most of them immediately because I was worried about what people may have thought had they found them. I only recently began sharing them. Had it not been for the encouragement from Mrs. Mary Lesch, who lost her brother, James Patrick Francis (Pat to his family and friends) in Vietnam on May 27, 1969, I most likely wouldn't be sharing them now.

These are several of my writings. Mary Lesch's tribute to her brother Pat is also included in this group. She was also insrumental in me writing the Poem that we left at The Wall when we met there.

A Day To Remember Memorial Day.
The Story Behind The Poem How the poem "A Day To Remember" came about.
Remembering Pat Mary Lesch remembers her brother.
Remembering Ralph Remembering a fallen friend.
The Path A reflection on my first visit to The Wall.
Names Unknown Two fallen comrades.  Updated May 16, 2001
A Typical Night For A Grunt A reflection on nights in the field.
The New Guy My feelings about being the inexperienced new guy.
The Wall Reflection on the names on The Wall.
Coming Home Feelings of isolation and guilt.
From Beyond The Wall A message of peace.
Memorial Day Remembrance Memorial Day 1999 observance.
Goodies From Home Letters, packages and other things from home.