‘Ton of history’

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall replica evokes
emotional responses from visitors in Abbeville

October 28, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

ABBEVILLE — Dale Buis. Chester Ovnand. Maurice Flournoy. Alfons Bankowski. Frederick Garside.
Their names were among the first to be chiseled into the glassy black stone of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington.
More than 58,000 names would follow, each serving as a reminder of those who were killed — or are still missing — after serving in the Vietnam War.
The Wall That Heals, a traveling half-scale replica of the memorial in the nation’s capital, has made its way to Abbeville.
Coordinated and managed by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, The Wall That Heals gives residents in cities across the country an opportunity to view the names of American casualties of the war.
Veterans, soldiers, residents and others gathered Thursday morning to celebrate the traveling exhibit’s opening at the Burt-Stark Mansion, with many attendees taking time to scan the 250-foot-long wall for the names of friends and loved ones.
“It’s an awesome sight,” said Brad Evans, owner of Harris Funeral Home in Abbeville, who helped bring the exhibit to the town. “There is a ton of history here today.”
Though he doesn’t know anyone listed on the Wall, Evans said he had been searching for a way to honor soldiers when he learned about the traveling exhibit, which also features a Vietnam War museum.
“Our veterans fought for our country and we don’t want to forget them,” he said.
Many who visited The Wall That Heals on Thursday were there to find their fallen comrades’ names. “When they told me they were bringing the Wall here, I jumped in feet first,” said Vietnam War and Air Force veteran Larry Grant.
Grant was stationed at a base in Utapao, Thailand, during the war. His duties included arming outgoing aircraft with bombs and ammunition. Though not on the front lines, Grant, who later served in the Gulf War with his son, said the time spent in Vietnam was tough for many.
“You didn’t know who was going to be your friend one day and your enemy the next,” he said.
Though there was negativity brewing at home over the war, Grant said that the soldiers overseas knew they had a job to do.
“The soldiers believed they were doing the right thing, and the ones who maybe didn’t believe it was the right thing went ahead and did it anyway,” he said. “You were fighting to keep communist countries from multiplying.”
State Commandant of the Marine Corps League Ed Hammons, who spent 32 months in Vietnam, was wounded three times in battle. During a stay at a military hospital in Texas, Hammons learned that brother James also had joined the Marines.
“I didn’t even know he was in the Marine Corps or that he was in Vietnam until I woke up in the hospital,” he said. “We were actually in the field at the same time, and I didn’t know it.”
Though Hammons survived his tour of duty, his brother’s name is one of the thousands listed on the Wall. Looking at the names is still an emotional experience for him, Hammons said.
“Just to be in their presence is a gift from God. It brings back a lot of memories and a lot of heartaches because I have so many friends who got killed,” he said. “You can only cry and hurt so much. Every time I see the Wall, it brings back the firefights I was in, the operations I went on — it’s a mixture of good and bad.”
Student groups from area schools also visited the exhibit, and Vietnam War veteran Phil Lucas, with the Lakelands Marines, said seeing the names on the Wall could help younger generations understand the sacrifices made for freedom.
“When you see all these names, sometimes it hits home. These aren’t just carvings on a wall, these are actual people. Hopefully, it will give (the students) some sense of history,” he said.
Abbeville resident and Korean War veteran Lawrence Ashley came to the exhibit without personally knowing anyone on the Wall. One name he found, Charles Ashley Jr., was a possible distant relative, he said.
“I don’t know this man, but he had a mother, a father, brothers and sisters. If you could go back and look at his history, there are a lot of people who might have missed him,” Ashley said. “There is so much left behind that people don’t know about.”
For visitor Trudy Ochse, of Abbeville, Thursday was the first time she had a chance to view the name of a close friend who gave his life in Vietnam. She said she has never had the opportunity to visit the memorial in Washington so she brought a piece of paper and a pencil to the Wall in Abbeville to make an etching of the name.
“It brings it all back. It surprised me — I didn’t think that after this many years it would hit me this hard, but it did,” she said with tears in her eyes. “It does help you heal. It gives you perspective, and you know that they weren’t alone. You see the company they were in, and it brings it all together. You look at your loved ones, but you look at every other name and say, ‘Thank you.’”
Sammy Lewis, director of the Abbeville County Veterans Affairs Office and a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, said this sense of healing and closure — for veterans, family and friends — is why the exhibit is titled The Wall That Heals.
“When you lose someone on the battlefield, you can’t let emotions take over — you are concerned with survival. That’s why so many veterans have suppressed it so long,” he said. “You see the names of the people you served with, and at that point, you actually start grieving.”
Barbara Smith, site manager with The Wall That Heals, agreed. Smith lost her fiancé to the Vietnam War effort.
Now, more than three decades after his death, Smith is traveling to cities across the nation with the Wall that bears her loved one’s name.
“Whether you are seeing it for the first time, or you’ve seen it a hundred times, you address the loss and the price of war,” she said. “It took 30 years for me to start the healing process. Each time you see it, you heal a little more.”
The Wall That Heals is open to the public 24 hours a day, and the exhibit and museum will remain on the grounds of the Burt-Stark Mansion through Sunday. Admission to the exhibit is free, but donations, which go to support the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, are accepted.

Albert Arnold Sr.

HODGES — Services for Albert Arnold Sr. are at noon Saturday at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, conducted by the Rev. Harold Chapman, assisted by the Rev. Amos Harling. The body will be placed in the church at 11 a.m. Burial is in The Evening Star cemetery.
Pallbearers are Sam Arnold Jr., Dedrick Gaskin, Bryan Williams, Brandon Leverette and James A. Johnson.
Flower bearers are nieces.
Viewing is 1-8 today at Parks Funeral Home.
The family is at 3323 Cokesbury Road.
Parks Funeral Home, Greenwood, is in charge.

Dorothy Wyatt ‘Dot’ Hardeman

WEST COLUMBIA — Memorial service for Dorothy Wyatt “Dot” Hardeman, 92, will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. in Christ Chapel of Washington Street United Methodist Church. Graveside sevice will be in Oakbrook Memorial Park, Greenwood, at 2:30 p.m. The family requests that those making memorials consider Hospice of Tri-County, 166 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 100, Columbia, S.C. 29210, The Episcopal Retirement Community at Still Hopes, 1 Still Hopes Drive, West Columbia, S.C. 29169 or Washington Street United Methodist Church. Visitation will be Friday 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Still Hopes. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family.
Mrs. Hardeman, wife of the late Ralph Perry Hardeman, died Thursday, October 27, 2005. Born in Chickamauga, Ga., she was a daughter of the late Eugene Hill and Mae Henderson Wyatt. She was a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She was involved in many charitable organizations.
Surviving are son and daughter-in-law, Ralph Perry and Cheryl Hardeman of Greenville; daughters and son-in-law, Martha and Ben Keys of Greenville and Dottie H. Jordan of Columbia; sister, Mrs. W.A. McMahan of Chattanooga, Tenn.; grandchildren, Ben G. Keys, Perry A. Keys, J. Crawford Keys, Sanford H. Keys, Chauncey G. Jordan and Callie E. Shoaf; and great-grandchildren, Parker Keys, Cooper Keys, Jack Keys and Emmie Keys.
PAID OBITUARY

Joyce S. Hitt

Joyce Scott Hitt, 70, of 207 Piedmont Ave., wife of James A. “Buddy” Hitt, died Thursday, Oct. 27, 2005 at Hospice House.
Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of the late Augustus and Mildred Boggero Scott. She was a member of Trinity Baptist Tabernacle.
Survivors include her husband of the home; two daughters, Vickie H. Holcombe and Lisa H. Luu, both of Greenwood; a son, James Richard “Ricky” Hitt of Greenwood; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Services are 11 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Baptist Tabernacle, conducted by Pastors Randy Ouzts and Craig Hughes. Burial is in Edgewood Cemetery.
Pallbearers are Hai Luu, Anthony Luu, Andrew Luu, Robert Hitt, Todd Matthews and John Gillion. Honorary escorts are members of the Ladies Sunday School Class of the church, along with Larry Murray and James Smith.
The body will be placed in the church at 5 p.m. on Friday, where visitation is 6:30-8:30 p.m. The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to Trinity Baptist Tabernacle, 910 Sweetwater Road, Greenwood, SC 29646 or the Joyce Hitt account, c/o Harley Funeral Home, PO Box 777, Greenwood, SC 29648.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Lillie Bell Johnson

SALUDA — Lillie Bell Johnson, 83, of 412 Travis Ave., died on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005 at Lexington Medical Center.
Born in Saluda, she was a daughter of the late Calvin and Shaddie Minick Johnson. She was a member of Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Women Auxiliary, a former choir member and a member of Women Home Aide Society 126. She was a retired domestic worker.
Survivors include four sons, Frank Johnson of Suitland, Md., Lawrence Johnson of Columbia, James V. Johnson and Connie Johnson, both of Saluda; two daughters, Annie J. Wise and Charlotte West, both of Saluda; a sister, Elise Floyd of Washington, D.C.; 19 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Sunday at Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, conducted by Elder Wilbert Young, pastor assisted by Elder Henry Watson. Burial is in Rock Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.
The body will be placed in the church at 1.
Pallbearers are grandsons, and flower bearers are granddaughters and friends.
The family is at the home of Mrs. Samuel (Annie Jean) Wise, 412 Travis Ave.
Butler & Sons Funeral Home is in charge.

Jessica Minor

GREENWOOD — Jessica Linda Lee Minor, 21, of 2616 Edgefield Highway, Eureka, SC, died Wednesday, October 26, 2005.
Born in Augusta, GA, she was a daughter of James Thomas and Linda Talbert Minor. She was a student at Aiken Technical College. Jessica enjoyed the activities of the Eureka Fire Department and Sons of Confederate Veterans. She was much loved and will be missed by all.
Surviving are her parents of Vaucluse, SC; her fiance, Matthew Ruben Phillips of the home; maternal grandmother, Betty Minor of Greenwood; three brothers, Justin Minor of Vaucluse, Joshua Blue and Jason Blue, both of Augusta.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Bethlehem United Methodist Church with the Rev. Tommy Tucker and the Rev. Richard Barber officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Tracy Wood, Kenneth Bledsoe, Edward Lamb, Jr., Timothy Bledsoe, Mathew Altman and Eddie Cook.
The family will receive friends at Harley Funeral Home on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. The body will be placed in the church at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The family is at the home of her great aunt, Mary Sue Wallis, 1009 E. Northside Drive, Greenwood.
Memorials may be made to Bethlehem United Methodist Church, 122 Fuller Street, Greenwood, SC 29649.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Emma Smith

Emma Smith, of 419 Bintage Road, died Thursday, Oct. 27, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center. The family is at the home of her mother, Mamie Hill, 534 Hackett Ave.
Services will be announced by Parks Funeral Home.

Willie A. Stephens Jr.

PLUM BRANCH — Services for Deacon Willie A. Stephens Jr. are 2 p.m. Sunday at Mount Moriah Baptist Church, Plum Branch, conducted by the Rev. Melvin L. Gordon, pastor. Assisting are the Revs. Otis Cunningham, Jasper Chamberlain and Eddie Freeman. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are members of Mount Moriah Masonic Lodge 96.
Flower bearers are members of Heroines of Jericho.
The family is at the home, Route 1, 2143 Liberty Hill Road.
Walker Funeral Home, McCormick, is in charge.

Ny-ashia S. Timpson

Ny-ashia Shyteria Timpson, infant daughter of Henry Lee Timpson and Lisa Ann Lewis Timpson, died Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include her father of McCormick; her mother of Greenwood; seven brothers, Jerry Lewis, DeTavious Timpson and John Timpson of the home, Gregory Calhoun, Tracy Timpson, Kendrick Timpson and Henry Timpson of Greenwood; five sisters, Desiree Lewis and Santorria Timpson of the home, Shelia Timpson, Christy Timpson and TaLisha Timpson of Greenwood; maternal grandmother, Bernice Lewis and maternal great-grandmother, Carrie Harrison, both of Greenwood.
The family is at the home of her mother, 109 Columbia Ave.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.

Emerald tennis shuts out Pelion

October 28, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

It was a clean sweep for the Emerald High School girls tennis team.
The Lady Vikings decimated Pelion, 7-0, Thursday at Greenwood Country Club in the first round of the Class AA playoffs. Emerald advances to the second round, where it will travel to play Broome Monday.
Several of the Lady Vikings spoke about the upcoming match with the Lady Centurions.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to win that one,” said Victoria Hutto, who plays No. 5 singles for Emerald. “We don’t know a lot about (Broome), but we know they’re a good team and that they won their region.”
Lady Vikings’ No. 4 singles player, Meredith Martin, expressed some concern about the second-round tilt.
“Yeah, we’re kind of nervous about that one,” she said.
“We know they’re decent. We’ll need to have a good practice this weekend and go give it our all Monday.”
It was a dominant performance Thursday by the Lady Vikings, as lopsided as the shutout score implies.
Emerald senior Elizabeth Nicholson, playing the No. 1 singles position, overwhelmed Pelion’s Alexandra Neese 6-0, 6-0.
Nicholson, who sports a powerful first serve, pelted Neese with a litany of crosscourt winners and overhead smashes.
The match lasted only 18 minutes.
“I was excited about this one, mainly because it’s the beginning of my last time in the playoffs,” Nicholson said. “I didn’t know anything about (Neese) coming in, which made me nervous. I established my serve early, and that helped a lot.”
The best match of the day occurred at No. 2 singles.
Emerald’s Morgan Lee bested Lady Panthers’ Jennifer Day 6-3, 6-4 in a match that lasted nearly two hours.
At one point, the two players seemed to be trading winners, with neither being able to gain a secure foothold.
That’s when Lee decided to change strategies.
Midway through the second set, Lee, trailing 4-3, began to slice drop shots just over the net, forcing Day to charge the net. Lee would then pump intermediate lobs over Day’s head, forcing her into unforced errors. The tactical shift enabled Lee to surge ahead for the win.
“She was tough,” said Lee of Day. “I knew I needed to change the pace of the game. I felt like if I could keep her working and coming to the net, I could win the set.”
Coming into Thursday’s match, Emerald and Pelion had never played before. In fact, this season was only the second year Pelion has had a tennis program. Not knowing anything about her opponent played a small factor in Katherine Talbert’s 6-0, 6-1 victory over Lady Panther Kayla Portis.
“I was anxious all day because I had no clue how good (Portis) was,” Talbert said. “When I got out here I felt more comfortable. I played hard, and it’s always exciting to get a win.”

Observations ... and other reflections

October 28, 2005

It’s a shame, of course, but it’s the rule instead of the exception that “resource” officers have to be assigned to public schools these days, including schools here. “Resource” means a police officer.
Why? An incident at a North Charleston middle school makes it clear. Recently, six seventh and eighth-graders attacked and repeatedly kicked a substitute gym teacher while he was on the floor. School resource officers and other officials were called, otherwise it obviously could have been worse.
Is there cause for fear in the classroom? Unfortunately, yes. And sometimes we wonder why there’s teacher turnover?

* * * * *

Lest we forget: Many of the big-city media and anti-war protestors have emphasized every fatality in Iraq. It was, it appears, a moment of self-satisfaction when that number reached 2,000.
No one could or should be happy with our losses. Each one is a tragedy and one is too many.
At the same time, though, nobody ever considers anymore that many more than that were killed when terrorists flew planes into the Trade Center in New York City. That act of war alone killed those innocent people. The Iraq numbers were over more than three years. Lest we forget!

* * * * *

AFL-CIO labor leaders have asked civil rights and religious groups, and liberal “think” tanks to tell the public that organized labor is important to workers’ quality of life. They also want them to defend their right to join unions.
Every worker should enjoy that right. They also should have the right not to join a union. In South Carolina and several other states they do have a choice ….. thanks to the right-to-work law. But, of course, those labor leaders don’t want workers to have a choice. That’s why right-to-work laws are needed.

* * * * *

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, a leading liberal critic of the Bush Administration, recently said, “whatever else you can say about President Bush, he won’t run from a fight.”
For many people, that’s high praise, whether it was meant to be or not.