Throughout the history of our Forefathers decision to dissolve its connection with Great Britain, many people have died doing exactly what the signers of the Declaration of Independence promised...."we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor". Since 1776, many lives have been lost in defense of that promise. On this Fourth of July, I want to share the rest of a story, to get it told before it is lost through time. We call it the Viet Nam War, but if you travel to that far away country, the locals there call it "The American War". Regardless, our soldiers were sent to fight there, starting in 1964, and officially terminating it in 1975, during the Fall of Saigon. Various countries joined the Allied Force and over 9 million personnel served during the Viet Nam War. At least 58,000 United States kids died during that fight for freedom. With that many soldiers deployed, it was seldom a Juab High graduate would meet anybody from the State of Utah. A local boy named Hal Jones was one of those soldiers directed to fight on the front lines of Viet Nam. He was a Medic, and felt proud he was with the famed 9th Infantry Division, which was created in World War I, then called "Hitler's Nemesis" during World War II. It was only natural for military leaders to order up the "Old Reliables" of the 9th Infantry. "Doc" Jones was sent to the front lines to replace another Medic who had been killed in the line of duty. Total shock and dismay hit Hal, to find out he was replacing Blair Wilkey, another Nephi, Utah man.
I salute those who gave their all that we can celebrate today including Blair Wilkey and the young family he left Nephi, Utah, USA.
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