Midstate Vietnam veterans remembered on National Mall
Thomas Murray (left) and Gerald Murray (right)
(Harrisburg) — The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington includes the names of more than 58,000 men and women who died during the conflict. But many others returned home, only to have their lives cut short in the aftermath of the war.
Fallen Vietnam veterans, who aren’t eligible for inclusion on The Wall, are still being honored through the annual “In Memory” ceremony in Washington DC.
121 of them were posthumously honored last week, including Gerald Murray of Harrisburg. His widow, Deborah Murray, calls the ceremony a fitting tribute.
“I knew it was going to be difficult before I went, and it was,” she says. “But I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I’m glad I was there to participate in it.”
Gerald Murray was exposed to Agent Orange while serving with the Marine Corps in Vietnam, and died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2010.
His cousin Thomas Murray, of Harrisburg, died under similar circumstance last year. Thomas Murray served in the Navy and was also honored on the National Mall.
To date, 2,000 Vietnam Veterans have been honored through the annual “In Memory” program. Their tributes will be included in the proposed Education Center at the Wall.
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