Help find photos of Vietnam casualties
Private 1st Class Charles N. Carson Jr. of Ensley died in Vietnam on Nov. 1, 1966, at the age of 18. He would have turned 19 on Christmas Day.
His name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington D.C., along with the names of more than 58,000 other casualties of that war.
But his photo is one of 27 from Alabama that hasn't yet been uploaded to the wall's companion "Wall of Faces," an online tribute to these fallen American heroes that features not just their names, but their pictures and details about their service.
When this effort started several years ago, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund was still searching for 24,000 photos, many of which were lost 45 years ago when more than 6 million government military records were destroyed in a fire at a St. Louis, Missouri, records repository.
As of last month, only about 1,300 are still missing, including 27 from Alabama -- Private Charles N. Carson Jr. and 26 others. We're only a few photos away from joining 36 other states that have found photos for all of their Vietnam casualties.
Last year, when the traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 'The Wall That Heals," came to Alabama, there were still 255 Alabama names missing from "The Wall of Faces." Thanks to a concerted effort by a group of dedicated veteran advocates and volunteers, most of those photos were found before the replica wall exhibit -- which included kiosks where "The Wall of Faces" could be viewed -- made its stop in Huntsville.
What better way to celebrate Memorial Day this year than to find those missing photos?
The National Newspaper Association and the Alabama affiliate, the Alabama Press Association, has made it a priority to help the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund finish the virtual photo wall, and Alabama Media Group is joining them in that effort.
"Memorial Day is the time to honor and remember those military members who gave all for our country," said Andrew Johnson, president of the National Newspaper Association. "This particular project is near and dear to me since my own son, 1st Lt. David Johnson, was KIA in Afghanistan in 2012.
"I could not imagine not having a photo him or not honoring his service along with all who gave their lives."
Please take a look at the list published with this article, and if you have a photo of one of the servicemen listed or know someone who does, please contact the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and make sure that we put faces with the names of all of our Alabama Vietnam casualties.
Alabama Vietnam War casualties with missing photos
Baldwin County
Spc. Kenneth L. Stokes, Stapleton, Army, KIA Jan. 18, 1970
Choctaw County
Cpl. Ben E. Causey Jr., Choctaw, Army, KIA date unknown
Elmore County
Staff Sgt. Dale K. Wilson, Tallassee, Army, KIA March 8, 1968
Pfc. Richard Clark, Tallassee, Army, KIA Jan. 27, 1969
Greene County
Cpl. Taylor H. McLemore, Boligee, Army, KIA June 3, 1967
Jefferson County
Pfc. Charles N. Carson Jr., Ensley, Army, KIA Nov. 1, 1966
Sgt. Jerry T. Evans, Birmingham, Army, KIA May 4, 1968
Spc. Johnnie L. Evans, Birmingham, Army, KIA date unknown
Pfc. Ronald Hall, Birmingham, Army, KIA Oct. 2, 1967
Pfc. Ronnie Harrell, Bessemer, Army, KIA date unknown
Sgt. 1st Class William B. Hill, Birmingham, Army, KIA Sept. 5, 1966
Pfc. Adam Jackson, Birmingham, Marines, KIA June 6, 1970
Pfc. Christopher C. Oakes, Bessemer, Army, KIA date unknown
Spc. Jim. L. Smith, Birmingham, Army, KIA July 8, 1966
Lance Cpl. Lee A. Toyer, Birmingham, Marines, KIA Oct. 21, 1967
Spc. Gene W. Williams, Birmingham, Army, KIA Oct. 12, 1965
Pfc. Fred Wilson, Birmingham, Army, KIA June 19, 1968
Staff Sgt. Claude Young, Birmingham, Army, KIA Oct. 21, 1967
Lee County
Sgt. Joe L. Jones, Phenix City, Army, KIA date unknown
Lowndes County
Lance Cpl. Joseph W. McDonald, Letohatchee, Marines, KIA Feb. 8, 1970
Mobile County
Staff Sgt. Francis E. Clark, Mobile, Army, KIA May 2, 1967
Pfc. Jack B. Meacham, Mobile, Army, KIA date unknown
Pfc. Johnnie L. Pryear, Mobile, Army, KIA March 6, 1971
Pfc. Johnny M. Watson, Mobile, Army, KIA June 19, 1970
Pfc. Wilbert E. Waxton, Grand Bay, Army, KIA date uknown
Montgomery County
Pvt. Thomas J. Sims, Montgomery, Army, KIA May 8, 1969
Morgan County
Cpl. David L. Turner, Lacey's Spring, Army, KIA Jan. 31, 1968
How to submit a photo
Online
If you have a digital copy of the photograph you can upload it directly to that service member's profile page on "The Wall of Faces." Go to at https://www.vvmf.org/wall-of-faces and search for their name in either the "Search The Wall" bar or by using the "Advanced Search." Once on their page, simply click "Submit Photos." (Please make sure your photo is right-side up. If you are uploading an image, the file must have a .gif, .jpeg or .jpg extension. Please try to keep files under 5 MB in size. File names can't include any symbols or only be letters and numbers.)
By mail
Make a copy of your photo. VVMF does not want original photos and cannot be responsible for returning photos to donors. When having the photo copied, ask the photo professional to make it the highest quality possible, use a glossy finish and reproduce the photo at an 8"x10" size, if possible. When mailing, please indicate on the front of the envelope that a photo is enclosed.
Mail to:
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Attn: The Wall of Faces
1235 South Clark Street, Suite 910