Stand Down

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Class of 63 Veterans

What is a Stand Down?

A stand down is traditionally known within the military as a time of rest and relaxation for soldiers after a battle. In times of war, exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety. At secure base camp areas, troops were able to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment.
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The U.S. Flag
Origin and Design
In the British colonies of North America before the Revolution, each of the 13 colonies had its flag. On Jan. 2, 1776, the first flag of the United States was raised at Cambridge, Mass., by George Washington. Known as the Grand Union flag, it consisted of 13 stripes, alternate red and white, with a blue canton bearing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. Congress, on June 14, 1777, enacted a resolution “that the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.” The story of Betsy Ross and the first flag is now somewhat discredited; official records have not confirmed that she was responsible for the design and making of the first flag. On Jan. 13, 1794, Vermont and Kentucky having been admitted to the Union, Congress added a stripe and a star for each state. Congress in 1818 enacted that the 13 stripes, denoting the 13 original colonies, be restored and a star added to the blue canton for each state after its admission to the Union. All of the states and territories of the United States also have their own flags.
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The History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that: The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit. During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery. This 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances of the day in several towns throughout America that had taken place in the three years since the Civil War. In fact, several Northern and Southern cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus, Miss.; Macon, Ga.; Richmond, Va.; Boalsburg, Pa.; and Carbondale, Ill. In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon Johnson, declared Waterloo, N.Y., the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They chose Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—because the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags. By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.) Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually. Several Southern states continue to set aside a special day for honoring the Confederate dead, which is usually called Confederate Memorial Day: Mississippi: Last Monday in April Alabama: Fourth Monday in April Georgia: April 26 North Carolina: May 10 South Carolina: May 10 Louisiana: June 3 Tennessee (Confederate Decoration Day): June 3 Texas (Confederate Heroes Day): January 19 Virginia: Last Monday in May

John Dugdale EO2

Name: John Dugdale

E-mail address: SourdoughJohn@aol.com

Years Served: 1966 to 1972

Outfit: United States Navy Seabee's 3rd Naval Construction Brigade

Tours/Stationed: Two tours in Vietnam

Comments: Went to boot camp in San Diego, then to school at Port Hueneme and Camp Pendelton. Got a year of shore duty on Owahu, Hawaii, then back to Camp Pendleton for more training before going to Vietnam. I was decorated twice in country, once by General Westmoreland and once by General Abrams, and received an honorable discharge from the service in 1972.

Barry Wood

Name: Barry Wood

Email Address: bearsail@aol.com

Years Served: 1964 - 1966

Outfit: 199th Light Infantry

Tour/Stationed: Vietnam

Comments: I volunteered for the draft in 1964 and went to Viet Nam in 1965. There I received a purple heart and other medals such as good conduct. At the end of my tour I was senior NCO and was running the whole company in maneuvers.

Don Singleton

Name: Don R. Singleton
Email: nwsing@earthlink.net
Years Served: Oct. 1966 through Oct. 1968 (active duty) Oct. 1968 through Oct. 1972 (active & inactive reserve duty)
Outfit: XVlll Airborne Corps (active duty) 40th Infantry Brigade (active reserve)

Tours/Stationed: Ft. Bragg, North Carolina
Comments: The most memorable thing I remember about my army time is the day after I was discharged from the army in North Carolina---my first son was born on that day!

Name: Jim Todd
E-mail address: Sac77171@saclink.csus.edu
Years Served: March 1966 to December 1969 and March 1973 to June 1989
Outfit: Navy
Tours/Stationed: Several locations from Guam to Scotland and Italy.
Comments: I served on many types of ships including submarines.

Name: Kevin Long
E-mail: kevin.long@byu.net
Years Served: June 20, 1963 - June 7, 1967
Outfit: 6988th Security Squadron USAF
Tours/Stationed: Enlisted less than a week after our class graduation. Basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. Chinese language (Mandarin) training at Yale University in New Haven, CN followed by additional electronics and Chinese training at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX. Attended flight crew training and global survival school at Stead AFB in Reno, NV. Finally assigned to Yokota AFB in Japan as a C-130 crew member intercepting Chinese military transmissions. Many deployments to Viet Nam, Thailand & Okinawa with additional trips to the
Philippines and Korea.
Comments: My time in the war zone (many trips to Da Nang and many missions over Laos, Cambodia and the Gulf of Tonkin - several of which were pretty exciting) gave me a great appreciation for life and for those who were closer to the front lines. I have always been very thankful to our heavenly father that I survived that time. I know that some 56,000 of our generation did not.

Name: Terry Thorpe

Email address: tthorpe@ivc.edu

Years served: October 1966 to August 1968

Outfit: U. S. Army, 1st Armored Division

Tours/Stationed: Fort Hood, Texas

Comments: I was asked what my most memorable moment was. "The Day I Got Out!"

Name: Carl Hughes

Email address: cmhughes@inreach.com

Years served: 4 (to the day) February 20, 1966 to February 20, 1970

Outfit: U. S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Eight (6/66 to 12/68) Naval Ship Missile System Engineering Station (12/68 to 2/70)

Tours/Stationed: Vietnam (12/66 to 8/67 and 1/68 to 10/68) Port Hueneme, Ca 6/66 to 12/66, 7/67 to 1/68 and 10/68 to 2/70

Comments: "I served as a fleet sailor with the Seabees for two tours in Vietnam's I Corps region--the first in Chu Lai, and the second in Gia Le. Among my duties for an 850 man battalion were running the R & R program and leave program, transfer and receipt of personnel, and drafting responses to Congressional Inquiries. I was also frequently a courier. In "military situations" on our second deployment during the 1968 Tet Offensive, I was a squad leader with a small section of perimiter to defend. I'm fortunate enough today to be in touch with about a half dozen or so of my my buddies from Vietnam, and look back at the experience as one of tremendous growth and maturation."

Name:   George Beavis
Email Address:   BeavisGC@wavecable.com
Years Served:   1966 to 1970
Outfit: Hospital Corpsman
Tours/Stationed:   Guam and the Repose (68-69) a hospital ship in "I" Corps around the DMZ
Comments:   We picked up casualties during the day then went to DaNang at night and offloaded the wounded to be shipped home or sent to the morgue. We kept about 3-400 (mostly marines, but including civilians, kids and NVA prisoners). I worked psychiatry, orthopedics, triage, malaria.

Was stationed in San Diego for last 6 months

John McClelland

Name:   John McClelland
Email address:  bmcclelland@kumc.edu
Years served:   September 1963 to Sept 1967   Air Force Reserve 1985 to 1995
Outfit:   Air Cargo Delivery via C-123 and C-130 Cargo Planes
Tours/Stationed:   Richards Gebaur A.F.B. in Grandview, Mo. Colorado Springs, Co. Then 13 months in Viet Nam, returned to Richards Gebaur A.F.B.then honorably discharged. March A.F.B Ca with Air Force Reserves.
Comments:   Under the "Buddy System" Steve Farmen and I went into the U.S.A.F. The first time I saw him after the day we enlisted was February 2005, (don't trust the Recruiters). I met my wife Louise after Basic Training and Tech school while stationed at Richards Gebaur A.F.B. We've been married 40 years now. The picture was taken in '65 in Viet Nam, beside the hut where I lived.

Name:   David Sievers
Email address:   dsievers2@verizon.net
Years served:   1966 - 1968
Outfit:   U S Army
Tours/Stationed:   Vietnam Feb of 67 to Feb of 68
Comments:   I was flown out of country during the Tet offensive in 1968...wild times.!! I was stationed near Saigon at Bien Hoa and Long Binh for most of the time...I was also on a forward fire base for about 2-3 months near Xuan Loc, on an old Michelin rubber plantation. One of the highlights there was watching night attacks by "Puff the Magic Dragon", a heavily armed gunship that put on quite a light show! I have many students in my classes at Wilson whose parents and grandparents came to Long Beach from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as a result of our involvement there

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Official Web Site of the WWHS Class of 1963

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