ANOTHER VET: If you’re at The Moving Wall today, check panel 64,
second row down on the right, for the name Gary Witherell. He has a
local connection.
When we were preparing material for our special edition marking
the visit by The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall to
Smethport, we received a letter from Joann Gifford, a Bradford
native now living in Crescent City, Calif.
Enclosed was a copy of her cousin’s obituary.
“He was an only son, and his father was a highly decorated
veteran of World War II. He had one sister, now living in Orange,
Calif.,” she writes. “I was born and raised in Bradford, a special
place that I still miss.”
Unfortunately, the clipping does not include a date but we’d
guess it was sometime in 1968 and was published in a California
newspaper.
It says, “Sgt. Gary Witherell, graduate of Dominguez High School
and former Compton College student, was killed in Vietnam on May
19. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Millard (Bill) Witherell, who lived
at 505 S. Holly until two weeks ago, received news of their son’s
death at their home in Santa Ana, Calif.”
“Gary, born in Salamanca, N.Y., Sept. 22, 1946, came to Compton
with his parents in 1962. He graduated from Dominguez High in 1964
and attended one semester at Compton College. He then worked for
Douglas Aircraft as a Class A assembler until entering the Army,
May 25, 1967.
“After basic training, young Witherell was assigned to
Non-Commissioned Officers School at Fort Benning, Ga., where he
graduated as one of the highest in the class. He left Fort Lewis,
Wash., on April 25, as a member of the 327th Infantry attached to
the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam.
“His father, who for several years was an employee of the
Compton Post, received notice on May 22 that the sergeant was
missing in action. On May 28, they were notified that their son had
‘died of bullet wounds’ on May 19.
“The Witherells received a letter from Gary written May 17. He
told them he had just arrived at the front in charge of a fire
team. The fierce battle of May 19 was at Hue.”
POST SCRIPT: If you haven’t been to The Moving Wall in Smethport
– make time. It will be at Hamlin Lake Park until closing
ceremonies on Sunday.
