I was looking up my cousin Francisco Correa-Morales who died in Vietnam 04/23/1966. My cousin served in the 5th Infantry, Bravo company. Francisco died in a really bizarre training accident where a Sargent decided to do claymore training in an armored personnel carrier. The claymore exploded and he an two others were killed instantly. My older sister was named in his honor. I remember my great uncle showing us pictures of him, and my mom related the story of how he died. Many in my family have served through the generations. Some of the men in my family still to this day show the mental scars of service and combat. Tragic that as a species we can explore other worlds and create technologies to look into the very matter that creates us. Yet we savagely tear each other apart for basic needs everywhere on this planet.
On the 50th anniversary of the start of the Vietnam war, I was looking to find where Francisco was buried, instead I found something amazing. NASA launched the Stardust spacecraft about 9 years ago to explore a near by comet. The builders decided that a microchip with the names of some US servicemen should be placed in the spacecraft to honor these fallen heros. I know he wasn't physically there, but to think now that someone remembered him and thought enough of him to let his name journey through the cosmos. The ship returned in 2006 and is now in Texas not too far from where I live. Also another set of chips with his name and all others on the Vietnam wall will fly to space forever!
This memorial day, even if you have no one who has served, go on a virtual memorial wall. Who cares what war, just find a servicemen you connect with. Leave your name and tell them you remember. Let their names be eternal through your remembrance of each of these heros who died so that we could live. Whichever country your from remember your fallen. Remember.
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