Grand Island's Memorial Day 2025 is remembrance of the fallen

Story and Photos by Alice Gerard

Senior Contributing Writer

At the Town of Grand Island’s Memorial Day ceremony, guest speaker Wayne West shared a harrowing tale of a battle in Vietnam fought in darkness.

West, who retired as a captain from the U.S. Army National Guard in 2002, said, “One of my brothers in arms symbolizes the real meaning of Memorial Day. One of my friends said he had told the mother that, if there was a living blood line of his, her son’s final resting place would be eternally cared for. I will not use names, but I will assume the position of my friend as I narrate his story.

“Another guy who was in our group, (a civilian), said, ‘That’s sick. I don’t have a problem with you caring for the grave, but to commit your children and grandchildren is just sick.’ I hope that civilian learned the meaning of Memorial Day after my friend told his story.”

The battle occurred near Quang Tri, Vietnam, on March 14, 1968. The man who promised the mother that her son’s grave would always be taken care of was a marine lieutenant, also called a platoon commander. The lieutenant, whom West did not identify, said, “I thought I ambushed the soccer team coming into Da Nang, which would have been, at most, maybe 12 men. But it was a point element of a much larger unit: a company or a battalion. It could be 200 or 300 or a lead element of 1,000.”

During the battle, the lieutenant was hit by seven grenades. The shrapnel is still in his body. He requests air support and artillery support, as well as illumination on a night that he described as “darker than the inside of a cow’s @ss.”

“In a split second, some things happen in life, and, in other times, it seems like it goes on for an eon,” West said, telling his friend’s story. “Another grenade went off. My weapon was smashed. I had thrown the other 11 grenades that I had. All I had left was my father’s World War II knife with me, and I had one more grenade. I remember I looked up and, out of this bush, jumped a Viet Cong. I’m going to tell you. I remember this vividly. I remember looking into his eyes, and I remember him looking into my eyes. I remember him lifting his AK-47 rifle right at me, lying there. I remember saying to myself – and this is going to sound a little melodramatic – ‘If I pull the pins to my last grenade, I don’t have the strength to throw it. I would end up killing myself. I could throw the knife, but I don’t know how to throw a knife. I’m going to end up missing him, and I will still be dead.’ ”

At the moment when the lieutenant could not throw the grenade because of his wounds, a marine corporal whom the lieutenant called RTO Buffalo shot the Viet Cong, but moments later, the corporal was also killed.

Wayne West served as guest speaker for the town’s Memorial Day ceremony.

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“RTO stands for my radio telephone operator,” West reported his friend having said. “He was one of my marines. The RTO was also from Buffalo. He is buried back here in Western New York. He is buried here in Forest Lawn, under an oak tree. And so, a Buffalo boy saved my life.

“When my daughter went to Canisius College for four years, she used to walk across the street and sit underneath that oak tree and study by the guy’s grave, knowing that she would not be here if it were not for the heroics of this young man, because I wouldn’t be here. None of the chain would have continued.

“I promised that person that, as long as there was a survivor in my line, her son’s grave would be taken care of, because there would be no survivors in my line if it were not for her son.”

The corporal was 22 years old when he was killed.

“For me, that touched me,” West said. “That’s the meaning of Memorial Day. I just want to let you guys know: Armed Forces Day is to honor anyone who wore the uniform. Veterans Day is for those of us who have hung up the uniform. Memorial Day is for those who never got to take the uniform off. All gave some. Some gave all. Memorial Day is the most expensive holiday on the calendar because, as you go out today and spend time with your family, your friends, and you have that hot dog or that hamburger, I want you to remember our fallen comrades, our soldiers, our brothers and sisters in arms. I want you to understand the true meaning and the true price of that hot dog or hamburger that you have. I want you to understand the cost of that true freedom that we enjoy today that we so often take for granted.

“Thank you and remember our fallen.”

A stone honoring Purple Heart recipients, placed by the Order of the Purple Heart, is unveiled at the DeGlopper Memorial.