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Memorial Day Evokes Memories Of Vietnam War Combatants Who Died

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By IMANI ASUKILE

Tribune Correspondent

Published: May 24, 2008

Memorial Day is personal for me. I spent many summer nights listening to former vets tell stories about their experiences in Vietnam. I can't stop thinking about the Mickens High School graduate and two young men I knew who died in the Vietnam War.

More men perished in Vietnam than there are people in Dade City. For a long time, it seemed like the most I could do was pay my respects at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. My daughter recently visited the monument during her eighth-grade trip to the capital. She and I also have visited the Virtual Wall, www.virtualwall.org, from our living room. We found the fallen we knew.

But I have always wanted to do more for those who gave their lives.

So, this year, even though I can't list the names of everyone who died, I would like write about three young men.

The Vietnam War represented a tough time for the country. There was no iconic enemy such as Hitler or al-Qaida. The purpose of the Vietnam War was to stop the spread of communism. To serve was a big commitment. Some were drafted and others volunteered.

Leonard A. Wynn, a 1964 Mickens High School graduate, played football and baseball in school and was offered a scholarship to Texas Southern College, according to his sister, Sandra Wilson. After a few dead-end jobs and a stint in the Job Corps, though, he joined the Marines.

Millions of those who served in the war returned, but Wynn, 20, wasn't one of them. He was killed on May 30, 1967. He never had time to marry or have children.

At the time of his death, his immediate family had started transitioning from Dade City to St. Petersburg, where he was buried.

"It was a long time ago, but I still think of him during the holidays. He was a gentle giant," said Wilson, sadness in her voice.

Dennis Vacenovsky, a first lieutenant in the Marines, was a graduate of Saint Leo College and Hernando High School. He was my eighth-grade science teacher. I remember him telling the story of a student at Saint Leo writing a term paper of more than 100 pages about a penny. The class thought that was incredible.

Vacenovsky didn't have to be in Vietnam when he was killed. The stateside death of his brother, Tommy, interrupted his second tour of duty. He didn't have to return because he was the sole surviving son. But he did, believing his men weren't ready for combat without his leadership. He was killed shortly after returning to combat. He was a true Marine.

Lance Cpl. Hercules "Billy" Moore was barely 21 years old when he was killed. His death was especially painful to me. I had seen him at a football practice of his alma mater, Moton High School, telling players and coaches about his experience in the Marines. He had just completed boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. Moore made it sound like boot camp was not place for slackers, and he wasn't one.

Five feet 10 inches tall and 150 pounds, Moore was a standout in football, basketball, and baseball at Moton High and was a speed burner. During his senior year, he ran for many touchdowns, and his crowning moment came when the Moton Bulldogs crushed the Mickens High School Wildcats in 1966.

In those days, there weren't more than one or two boys in each graduating class who went to college; the majority of boys in Moore's class joined the Air Force.

I can still remember my late brother, Ronald Rudolph, telling our dad that Moore had been killed in Vietnam. I couldn't believe it. Reportedly, he was walking point, looking for the enemy, when he stepped on a mine on May 26, 1968.

I never stop thinking about Moore. He has been dead longer than he lived. I never miss an opportunity to visit his grave in the Spring Hill Cemetery when I'm up there doing research or for a burial.

No matter how one feels about the Vietnam War or our country's present-day conflicts, we must remember those who gave their lives for their country. This Memorial Day is a good time to start.

Imani Asukile, a Hernando County native, is a longtime Dade City resident and one of the founders of the African American Heritage Society of East Pasco County. His column appears every other Friday. To suggest a future column, e-mail him at idasukile@yah

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