365 & Counting: Iowans in the Vietnam War

Tom Brickman - Originator of Project

March 8, 2017 - At our last Wednesday Cedar Falls Kiwanis Club Meeting, Tom Brickman of Janesville spoke on his firsthand war experience as an Army specialist that he spent his tour of duty in Vietnam 48 years ago.  Combat is something hard for Veterans to revisit and discuss.

Tom and his daughter, Shari Kirkpatrick saw a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, Iowa.  What Tom saw trigged memories and nightmares he long ago tried to suppress. During 1967-68, Tom was attached to U.S. Army 196th Light Infantry Brigade in the American Division encompassing the Vietnam War. He served with distinction in heavy combat in Chu Lai, Da Nang, survived the 1968 Tet offensive and earned four battle stars and received the coveted U.S. Army Medal of Commendation for Meritorious Service during his tour overseas.

Chris Shackelford - Grout Museum

However, Brickman wanted to see more than just names, a quick profile, and sterilized statistics on his band of brothers. He thought the photographs of the fallen heroes would fill an emptiness he felt and have faces honoring his fellow comrades at arms that sacrificed everything for their country; so we would never forget their patriotism and devotion.

Tom and Shari were on a mission to match a photograph to all of the 853 names on the Iowans who fell in Vietnam and hope to have all photos eventually of all of the 58,261 of the fallen soldiers in the United States who paid the last full measure of devotion.

Tom and Chris Shackelford of the Grout Museum discussed to the Rough Risers Club about the new permanent Vietnam War display they both worked on to set up at the Five Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum honoring all Iowans who served honorably and faces all of the fallen so they are never forgotten on their sacrifice. It's also because those who gave their lives were more than just names on a wall.  Written by Lynn Barnes