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Canadian Vietnam Veteran on the Wall
Posted on April 08, 2006
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Danny "Greasy" Belcher, Executive Director
Task Force Omega of KY Inc.
Vietnam Infantry Sgt. 68-69
This is from my Canadian friends, Hal and Maddy Laffin. They have over the years located several Canadians that served with us in the United States military in Vietnam. We had other nationalities helping us fight the communist Vietnamese, Red Chinese, Cubans, and Russians in the Vietnam War. Thank you my Canadian Brothers and Sisters.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hal and Maddy Laffin" laffin2@scsinternet.com
To: greasy@kywirelesscollc.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 10:27 PM
Subject: New Name on the Wall
Danny, below is some info on PFC Hans Lorenz.
In 2003 Maddy read a post on the Internet that stated a Canadian
Vietnam Veteran, Hans Lorenz was buried in Midland Ontario. The first
thing we did was check the Wall and of coarse Hans was not on the
memorial. We knew right off that he was not on the North Wall, so we
had to go to Midland and find his grave. Midland is about 100 miles
from our place and we sometimes ride up there in the summer, it is in
a very nice area. In Midland we went to the newspaper and the museum
and retrieved photo copies of the obituary and the funeral. From this
information we knew the name of the cemetery and went there to find
the resting place. After speaking with the caretaker he directed us
to the spot and sure enough there was a bronze plaque, giving his
name, service and the word VIETNAM written on it. We cleaned up the
bronze marker and then did some more research in town and found out
where the Mother was located.
After Hans had died and was buried, Mrs. Lorenz moved to the United
States. When the Wall was dedicated in 1982 her son was not among
those named on the memorial. Mrs. Lorenz made application to have her
son named on the Wall but the application was rejected. Having her
son rejected by those he served with made no sense to the Mother.
When Maddy and I found Mrs. Lorenz, we called the lady and she was
very nice to us. She told us what happened to her son and she told us
about her application to have him named on the Wall. It seemed
strange to us that she would be refused since we knew of fellows,
having the same set of circumstances, who were named on the Wall. We
asked if she would again make an application and she did but again
her application was denied. We contacted our friends in Windsor
Ontario, the Windsor Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial Association
and the founder of the Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial, "the North
Wall", Ed Johnson and all agreed that Hans would be named on the
North Wall. We let Mrs. Lorenz know that her son's name and service
would be remembered on the North Wall and the Lady was very pleased
with that bit of news. At about the same time Maddy and I began to
share information with a fellow researcher in Maryland and
Bruce being a Marine Vietnam Veteran took great interest in the
Lorenz situation. We gave him all the information we could find on
Hans. We continued working with Bruce on other Canadians we were
finding on the Wall and Bruce was working diligently on his end
learning about Hans. This month we received a copy of a letter, the
DOD was confirming that PFC Hans Lorenz will be named on the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. by Memorial Day May 2006. We
called Mrs. Lorenz and told her the news. Our conversation was short
and emotional and I promised to send her a copy of the letter. I then
told her, you will be receiving a confirmation letter shortly. The
next call was easier on Mrs. Lorenz and we explained how much work
our friend Bruce had done on her behalf and on behalf of her
son. This Lady's son died April 26th 1966, her only child, she is
the only surviving member of her family and she will be laid to rest
with her son when the time comes.
This Memorial Day, Bruce, Maddy and I will be with Mrs. Lorenz at the
Wall in D.C. The Mother will see and touch her son's name and of
coarse she will take away a rubbing. Mrs. Lorenz was convinced when
we located her that no one cared that Hans had died because of his
service in Vietnam. Mrs Lorenz is now aware that there are many who
care about and remember those who served and the Mother knows in her
heart, Hans will not be forgotten, and his service is honored. There
will still be tears and sadness, but her son, although forgotten for
many years, is now to take his rightful place on the Wall.
Visit Hans at our Memorial Site
http://www.canadianvietnamveterans.ca/CanadianCasualtiesSouthEastAsia.html
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