From time to time, we have been posting, in the guestbook,
appearance schedules for the various replica Vietnam Memorial Walls around the
country. We will continue to do this but just so you can make future plans
below is a complete schedule of all the replica Wall appearances that we are
aware of for the balance of 2013.
We encourage anyone who lives near the appearance site to
visit these Walls.
And if you go we would ask, if you have time, for you help
us to memorializeour
old friends whose names appear on the Wall by leaving a placard in Memorial to them.This placard will also serve to allow any old Cacti out there who happen
to visit these Walls to find that we exist as an Association.
Just contact Doc Hall at jimdochall@yahoo.com and he will send
you via snail mail a placard to leave at any Wall that you visit.
Date
Appearance site
Wall name
April 21/28, 2013
Wickham Park, Melbourne, FL
Florida All Veterans Reunion
May 9/12, 2013
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
Green Cove Springs Junior High
May 17/20, 2013
Harley-Davidson of Jackson, Jackson, MS
Trail of Honor
May 23/27, 2013
Swan Lake Iris Gardens, Sumter, SC
Sumter Iris Festival
May 30/June 2, 2013
Eden, NC 27288
Freedom Park
July 3/7, 2013
Pikeville, KY 41501
Pikeville Soccer Complex
July 10/14, 2013
Williamstown, KY 41097
Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North
July 17/21, 2013
VFW Fox River Post 4600, McHenry, IL 60050
McHenry Fiesta Days
September 4/8, 2013
Concordia, MO 64020
Concordia Ballpark Complex
September 12/15, 2013
1st Vietnam Veterans Homecoming, New Philadelphia, OH 44863
Buckeye Career Center
September 19/21, 2013
Georgia Southwestern State University, Americas, GA
The Ride Home
October 13/20, 2013
Nature Coast All Veterans Reunion, Crystal River, FL
Holocene Corp Property, US 19
October 31/November 3, 2013
Greenfield Township Fire Department, Carroll, OH 43112
Freedom's Never Free
November 7/11, 2013
Buddy Riley Blvd, Baptist Church Grounds, Magnolia, TX
Veterans Day
Battle of Plei Djereng - 11-12 and 21-22 March 1967
Dave Chapman is the son of Lt Russ Chapman who served with the 3rd Platoon, B, 2/35th, Russ participated in the battles of 11-12 March 1967
and 21-22 March 1967. Greg has done a great job of posting the UTM grid coordinates into Google Earth and creating a very interesting and
user-friendly overview. You will need the Google Earth program to run the link but that program can be downloaded free from various sources.
Please take the time to take a look!
My father was LT. Russ Chapman – leader of 3rd platoon, Co B, during the battles of 11-12 March and 21-22 March 1967.
Over the years I’ve been in contact with many Cacti members through your website in an attempt to learn more about my father’s experiences in Vietnam. He passed away in March of 1992, and like many Vets he was reluctant to talk much about Vietnam. I have been piecing together his movements during his tour through after action reports, battalion radio journals, decoration citations, and personal contacts for many years.
Recently I read “One More Sunrise” by Curtis Gay. A particular passage in the book struck me, as I recollect my father talking about the jungle – when Gay stated that they never really knew where they were or where they were going from a geographic coordinate perspective.
I had always wondered about the battles of March – exactly where they were fought. Recently, I spent some time converting the military UTM coordinates mentioned in the AA reports into Google Earth coordinates and plotting the battle of Plei Djereng on Google Earth. The output of this effort is fascinating. I can now see exactly the movements by Company. Using some of the Google Earth tools, such as “Street View”, I can walk the same path as my father from the CO B LZ into the terrible ambush position where he lost several members of his platoon.
When you open this file – and assuming you have Google Earth installed (free) – the battle area should show up both on the map and also a series of entries will be available in the LH Nav column. When you click on the places, I’ve inserted the specific passages from the After Action reports to provide a type of timeline of activity associated with each pin drop location. The broad, semi square area is the “Sweep” area Co A was assigned, and is anchored by the 4 coordinates mentioned in the After Action report.
You men of B/2/35 have my undying respect and admiration.
"Thanks to Wiley (Tiny)Dodd for accepting the position of VP for Membership. If any of you have any suggestions which might aid us in our quest for new
members and sustaining membership, please let Tiny know.
Thanks to Alan (Ole) Olsen for agreeing to serve as a Service Officer for our Association. If any of you have questions about dealing with the VA,
please contact Alan.
Please give both of these men your full support.
JimBeddingfield
2013
The new year is just around the corner and it’s not too early to think about your annual dues for the coming year.
If you haven’t yet sent in your dues for 2013, please take a minute to do this before the thought gets away from you.
We thank all 2012 Annual Members for their continuing support of our great Association. Through your membership and donations we have been able to continue the many projects that are important to all of us. Among the things that your dollars support are our Web Site; the Cacti Times; support of our Active Troops; Scholarship funding; Historical Research; Lost Buddy research; Health and Welfare Support for old friends who have been hit by hard times; the Cacti Monument Project; and the opportunity for all of us to get together with old friends every year.
For those who may have gotten sidetracked over the past year (or more) and not gotten around to renewing your membership (it is easy to do), “We need you.” It doesn’t matter how long you have been away from the fold, we want your support. Please take the time to get back in the game by sending in your 2013 membership, and help us all to keep this great Association vibrant.
We need you one and all. You have earned the right to be a part of this organization, and our hope is that we have earned the chance to count on your support during the coming years.
So please, while you have it fresh in mind, take a few minutes to print out your renewal membership form and send in your 2013 support check.
Cacti Monument
Not Just a Monument Honoring the 35th's
Service, But a Monument to Cacti Generosity.
Your 35th Infantry Regiment Association is now moving into the final design phase in
preparation for installation.
Special thanks need to go to the late Mike Tryon for bringing this project to the Association, for
promoting it and for tirelessly working to make it a success. Working along with Mike from the beginning has been John Lorts, our
“Cacti Times” editor. Both men have served the Association well.
And while these guys deserve the recognition for their work, I speak for the entire Board of Directors in expressing our deep gratitude
and appreciation for you, the Members of the 35th Infantry Regiment Association. You have made us all very proud!
MONUMENT UPDATE
Work continues on the 35th Monument at Ft. Benning, GA Final plans have been resubmitted to the National Infantry Association for approval. (
We made some revisions to the initial plans which were approved earlier.) The monument company has finished the clay mold for the bronze cactus.
The details for each of the panels have been finalized. The monument company is working on the details for each of the panels.
The monument is pentagon shaped with each of the panels 2 1/2 feet high and 5 feet long, made of black granite. Panels contain the crest, a CMB,
a CIB, Medal of Honor panel, awards and decorations panel, and a panel with the coat of arms and history.
As you can see by the drawing, it is truly a monument of which we can all be proud. It represents the Cacti from its creation until now and leaves room
for future additions. The fifth panel is blank for now.
Due to rising costs from the time we began this project, we are still about $10,000 short of having enough for the completion. The original goal of
$28,000 was met and has been noted as met. We thank each of you for your contributions. We again ask that you make another contribution for this project..
We plan a dedication ceremony for the late Spring or early Summer. As soon as a completion date has been set, we will post it on the website. We
look forward to the completion of this monument and what it represents for the Cacti. Please make plans now to attend the dedication. And please
make a contribution for this monument. All donations are tax deductions.
Jim Beddingfield
President
These two monument progress pictures were taken on March 27, 2013:
President's Message
We have good news from several fronts. The 2nd-35th will not be deploying to Afghanistan this Spring as previously announced. I am sure this is good news for all of them, their families and friends. We certainly think so. We await news of their new assignment.
Construction on the Cacti Monument at Ft. Benning has begun. The monument company poured the footing for the pentagon-shaped base the last week in March. At my last contact with them, they will pour the base and pad the week of April 8 if they have good weather. I appreciate all the support that each of you have given in the development of this project. We will announce the date for the dedication in the near future. Once the date is announced, please make plans to attend with all your fellow Cacti .
The Membership Committee has done an outstanding job contacting many annual members urging them to renew their memberships. The response has been great. Several have joined again after two or more year’s absence. A second mailing will contact those who may have forgotten or for some reason have not yet joined.
Letters were also sent to Life Members, Family Members and Friends asking that they consider making donations to one of our designated funds. The response has been outstanding for this effort as well. We have received designated donations for all our funds, including the Scholarship Reserve Fund and the Monument Fund.
If you have not done so, please register for the reunion in Virginia Beach September 26-29. It should be another rewarding experience. The plea goes out each year and each year we have another or several first-timers. This is great. Make plans now to attend.
Jim Beddingfield
President
Got a news
story about one of our members?
We would
like to present current articles on the guys who make us the best
Infantry Regiment Associations around. Please submit articles to Past
President Pete Birrow, at his email address. (Email
Pete)
The
Spring 2013 Issue of the Cacti Times, John Lorts,
Editor and Bill Henson, Associate Editor, is out.
Here's a
sample of page one of this issue. If you haven't
seen the electronic color version
Click
Here to see what you're missing. Members may email Steve
Rainbolt, our Secretary, to Sign Up.
The War Stories Section has turned
into a huge success with almost 50 stories written by our Cacti Members. Got a “Cacti Story?” It can be a battle story, A funny or
sad story. Just put it down the way you remember it. If you want a
“creative license” to embellish a little you got it. Only rule is not
to be malicious. Submit them to Wiley "Tiny" Dodd by
Email, today!
Cacti
Watch
The Association is proud to offer the 35th Infantry Regiment "Take Arms"
Watch. Order one today and wear it with pride.
Ordering Information.
Vietnam KIA
Photos Needed
Dick Arnold,
Doc Hall, and Pete Birrow have been gathering KIA Photos for a number of
years. Their work has added immensely to our mission to memorialize our
war dead. But we still need a few more.
Click Here to view a list of
Vietnam KIA photos needed. If you're a fellow Cacti, or a friend or family member,
please consider sending a photo to Dick Arnold at his Email address.
Vietnam
War - Gravesite Location Project
Doc Hall and Pete Birrow have
been compiling a list of gravesites for our Vietnam KIAs for some time now.
Through personal visits and searches on the web they have located
hundreds. The information is now available by
Clicking Here. If you have
personal knowledge of a gravesite not found on the list, please contact
Doc Hall at his Emailaddress
Cacti Scholarship Program
All of our
Cacti families are encouraged to apply for scholarship awards. To be eligible the applicant must:
Be a child, stepchild, grandchild or great-grandchild of an Association
member or a 35th Infantry Regiment member who was killed in action.
Be a graduating high school senior.
Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale).
Relatives of Association Board members are not eligible.
For more information see the
Scholarship
page of this website, or contact the Chairman, Mike Slyck.
Mike's email address can be found on the Officers page.
The
Spring 2013 Issue of the Cacti Times, John Lorts,
Editor and Bill Henson, Associate Editor, is out.
The Association is proud to offer the 35th Infantry Regiment "Take Arms"
Watch. Order one today and wear it with pride.
