These "empty chairs" sit at the table which is the life of Donald B.
Thompson:
His name was Conrad Francis " Butch " Straub USMC KIA 2/27/67 in
TayNihn province RVN. He was born 12/30/46 and skipped his senior year of HS
to join the Corps. From the time I met him in 7th grade til the summer of 66
when he joined the Marines he was my best friend. I saw him only one more
time after that, in nov 66 when he was on leave to go to RVN.
I graduated HS in May of 67 and had to wait until I was 18 to
Enlist. I turned 18 on 7/11/67 and was enlisted 21/12/67. It took nearly two
years of training before I was sent to Laos 5/10/69 and I volunteered to
stay there until the War was supposedly over. I took a career ending in June of 73 and was sent home.
My brother, Daryl Craig Thompson, joined the Navy. He was 1 year
younger than I and we were very close. He had finished his schooling and was
home on leave in transit to the USS Ogden LPD-5 Yankee Station off the
coast of RVN when he was killed on 25/10/69.
Conrad Francis Straub appears on The Wall, Panel 15E, line 110.
Daryl Craig Thompson does not appear on the wall at all tho in my
mind he should.
I miss them both. And by posting this I symbolically say goodbye
to both of them. It is time.
Rest well my brother and friend While I carry you in my heart you
will never be gone. Only missing.
Don