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Today, we honor the life and sacrifice of Private First Class Gary Lee Hall, a brave U.S. Marine who gave his life in service to our country on this day in 1976 during the Vietnam War. He was just 19 years old (based on the date he was declared dead).

A resident of Covington, Kentucky, PFC Hall served with unwavering commitment as a Rifleman (MOS 0311) with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force.

On May 15, 1975, PFC Hall was aboard a Sikorsky Sea Stallion cargo helicopter operating over Cambodian waters when it went down during a mission tied to the attempted rescue of the crew of the merchant ship SS Mayaguez.

The operation, part of the broader Mayaguez incident, quickly escalated into a violent 14-hour engagement with Khmer Rouge forces less than three weeks after the fall of Saigon. It is widely regarded as the final official combat action of the Vietnam War involving U.S. service members. His body was never recovered, but his memory has been preserved with honor. 

Beginning his tour in Vietnam on May 15, 1975, PFC Hall’s service exemplified the courage and devotion of a Marine who upheld the values of honor, courage, and commitment to the very end.

PFC Hall’s service and sacrifice are permanently memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, at Panel W1, Line 130, and here at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

To learn more about PFC Hall and his service to our country, click here. To leave a tribute to him on the Wall of Faces, click here.

If you have any additional information, photos, or videos related to PFC Hall or any other Kentucky veteran who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, we kindly invite you to share them with us here.

Today, we honor the life and sacrifice of Lance Corporal Charles Ronald Clark, a brave U.S. Marine who gave his life in service to our country on this day in 1968 during the Vietnam War. He was just 20 years old.

A resident of Louisville, Kentucky, LCpl Clark served with unwavering commitment as a Motor Vehicle Operator (MOS 3531) with Service Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force.

At the time of his death, LCpl Clark was deployed in the Quang Tri Province of South Vietnam. His body was recovered, and his memory has been preserved with honor ever since.

Beginning his tour in Vietnam on Feb. 5, 1968, LCpl Clark’s service exemplified the courage and devotion of a Marine who upheld the values of honor, courage, and commitment to the very end.

LCpl Clark’s service and sacrifice are permanently memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, at Panel W52, Line 18, and here at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

To learn more about LCpl Clark and his service to our country, click here. To leave a tribute to him on the Wall of Faces, click here.

If you have any additional information, photos, or videos related to LCpl Clark or any other Kentucky veteran who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, we kindly invite you to share them with us here.

Today, we honor the life and sacrifice of First Lieutenant Jerry Ardell Roberts, a brave U.S. Army Soldier who gave his life in service to our country on this day in 1966 during the Vietnam War. He was just 25 years old.

A resident of Cerulean, Kentucky, 1LT Roberts served with unwavering commitment as a Rotary Wing Aviation Unit Commander (MOS 1981) with Alpha Company, 502nd Aviation Battalion, 12th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army Vietnam.

At the time of his death, 1LT Roberts was deployed in South Vietnam. His body was recovered, and his memory has been preserved with honor ever since.

Beginning his tour in Vietnam on Nov. 27, 1965, 1LT Roberts’ service exemplified the courage and devotion of a Soldier who upheld the values of honor, courage, and commitment to the very end.

1LT Roberts’ service and sacrifice are permanently memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, at Panel 8E, Line 133, and here at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

To learn more about 1LT Roberts and his service to our country, click here. To leave a tribute to him on the Wall of Faces, click here.

If you have any additional information, photos, or videos related to 1LT Roberts or any other Kentucky veteran who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, we kindly invite you to share them with us here.

Today, we honor the life and sacrifice of Specialist Four Larry Montez Livingston, a brave U.S. Army Soldier who gave his life in service to our country on this day in 1971 during the Vietnam War. He was just 19 years old.

A resident of Lexington, Kentucky, SP4 Livingston served with unwavering commitment as a Materiel Storage and Handling Specialist (MOS 76V20) with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Medical Depot, United States Army, Vietnam Medical Command, United States Army, Vietnam.

At the time of his death, SP4 Livingston was deployed in the Quang Nam Province of South Vietnam. His body was recovered, and his memory has been preserved with honor ever since.

Beginning his tour in Vietnam on May 17, 1971, SP4 Livingston’s service exemplified the courage and devotion of a Soldier who upheld the values of honor, courage, and commitment to the very end.

SP4 Livingston’s service and sacrifice are permanently memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, at Panel W3, Line 92, and here at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

To learn more about SP4 Livingston and his service to our country, click here. To leave a tribute to him on the Wall of Faces, click here.

If you have any additional information, photos, or videos related to SP4 Livingston or any other Kentucky veteran who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, we kindly invite you to share them with us here.

The design of the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial continues to inspire awe among those who visit to honor Kentucky’s fallen Vietnam Veterans, and we are proud that this meaningful site draws visitors from across the country and beyond. In that spirit, we are pleased to welcome members of the North American Sundial Society (NASS) on Friday, June 26, from noon to 2 p.m. as part of the organization’s 31st Annual Conference. 

During their visit, guests will explore the memorial’s design, theory, and construction, as well as its signature feature: the functioning sundial. Carefully engineered, the sundial is designed so that the tip of its shadow touches the name of each fallen Kentucky Vietnam veteran on the anniversary of that veteran’s death. The memorial was designed by the late architect Helm Roberts, who was honored with the 2003 Sawyer Dialing Prize from NASS in recognition of his work. Today, the memorial stands as a remarkable blend of design, mathematics, history, and honor, and continues to attract thousands of visitors each year.

The 31st annual conference of the North American Sundial Society will be held in Louisville from June 25 through June 28. The visit to the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is part of a broader itinerary highlighting several significant regional sundials, including those at Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum, the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a riverside installation on the banks of the Ohio River dedicated to General George Rogers Clark.

The timing of the group’s Frankfort visit is especially fitting, coming just days after the summer solstice on June 21, when the sun’s position produces the shortest shadows cast by the gnomon across the memorial plaza. As light shifts across the names etched in granite, it offers a quiet yet powerful reminder of the enduring nature of remembrance against the passage of time.