“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy
forget in time
that men have died to
win them."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Of the many thousands US military who served in the Vietnam War, 58,000 thousand died in service far away from their homes and families. Over twelve hundred of those were from Alabama, making twenty-three families in Morgan County, Alabama, gold-star families.
This blog is dedicated to the twenty-three young men who left their homes in Morgan County, Alabama under a US flag, fought under the US flag, came home in coffins draped with the US flag, and deserve to have a US flag flying over their final resting place. These Unsung Heroes never had a chance to come home as "veterans," pursue their dreams, raise families, or tell their stories.
While searching records from those who died in Vietnam from Morgan County, Alabama, Don and Heather Collins found their grave sites, many of which were not marked with veteran status or in sections of cemeteries with other veterans. Some graves were barely marked at all and covered with grass and weeds. Don and Heather found it "unacceptable" for them to rest unnoticed, and with no flag flying over them. They took it as their mission to rectify those oversights.
They reached out to organizations, contacted all the remaining family members they could find and organized a "reunion" of sorts, where family and friends could share their memories. These families had suffered alone because of the stigma portrayed by the media of the battle they were sent to fight. They buried their dead, and then held inside their pain.
That meeting, complete with Patriot Guard Riders of Alabama, sparked a movement to finally honor these who seem nearly forgotten. Each family represented told stories, wiped fresh tears, and bonded with others who experienced similar events. The tremendous outpouring of shared grief gave healing to those who felt alone and gave purpose to their lives.
As Don and Heather learned about these men and their families, they wanted to make sure these twenty-three lives, and gold-star families were recognized and their stories were not forgotten. Unsung Heroes was born.
Here you will find basic information about these men, and a little of their stories. When the book is published, we will post a link here for purchase. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book will go into a foundation that will fund the continuing preservation of their memories, and their final resting places.
Follow the Facebook group Unsung Heroes of Morgan County Alabama and touch base with other family and friends of these men from Morgan County.
In counties all over this great United States, families are grieving alone. Regardless of your thoughts about the war in Vietnam, these men died fighting to help people they didn't know retain their freedom.
Fly Old Glory. She stands for freedom. Freedom that is costly and fragile. Fly her high and proud and encourage those around you to do the same. Freedom is too valuable to forfeit.
One of the flags they have placed at the final resting place of one #UnsungHero
About the authors
Award-winning author, Lisa Worthey Smith, and her husband are empty-nesting in North Alabama. She writes stories of faith, hope, and love, often including Bible studies within her heart-warming tales.
Don and Heather Collins are passionate about our American military and are active within several veterans groups. Unsung Heroes grew out of their mission to serve veterans and their families within their non-profit Vets Like Us.
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