MEDFORD CHRYSLER     

  January 25, 1947-
  July 2, 1967

                             

Med was the first classmate to be killed in the Vietnam war.  His name is inscribed on the Vietnam War Memorial wall.  If you do a search by name on the wall web site , you will find the specifics of Med's brief Marine Corps career, as well as a subsequent link to a comments page where a friend has posted some very nice thoughts.

The specifics are repeated here:

PFC - E2 - Marine Corps - Regular
20 year old Single, Caucasian, Male
Born on Jan 25, 1947
From PACIFICA, CALIFORNIA
Length of service 1 year.
Casualty was on Jul 02, 1967
in QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
Body was recovered
Religion:  PROTESTANT

Location on wall:  Panel 22E - - Line 98

The opening quotation on the wall web site is a fitting memorial:

"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind."

Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
1 January 1970
Dak To, Vietnam
Listed as KIA February 7, 1978