Garner Veteran Glenn Johnson - U.S. Marine Corps
As a special part of Garner hosting The Wall That Heals, Tim Stevens has reached out to Vietnam Veterans in Garner to listen, to hear, and tell their stories.
Glenn Johnson, Wiley Mingia, Chuck Haislip, Jimmy Brown and Harold Till went to the Marine recruiting station in Raleigh soon after graduating from Garner High School.
The recruiter initially didn't say a word, just shoved enlistment papers toward the young men. Then he said they came to the recruiting station to do something. It was time to do it. The recruiter promised a demanding experience at Parris Island boot camp and a trip to Vietnam within six months. All five signed up.
Till was killed in Vietnam, saving his platoon from annihilation on a jungle mountain. He was awarded a Silver Star for his heroic actions.
But all five answered their country's call.
The Wall That Heals will be at Garner's Lake Benson Park on April 16 through 19. It honors all Vietnam veterans. Go to garnerwall.com to read about other heroes and search youtube for Garner and Duty to learn more about Johnson and Till.
This is part of Johnson's story:
“I know that I have been very fortunate. I do not have the mental and emotional problems that some of our men have to this day. Physically, I am as healthy as a 70-year-old man can be.
“I came close to being killed beau coup many times. There were so many times that it was only a matter of a few feet or a few inches. Once I was climbing out of my foxhole when my buddy pulled himself out by pushing my shoulder down. He got it and I didn’t have a scratch.
“Rarely do I think of my time in Vietnam. I had married between boot camp and my specialty training. By the time, my tour was over, I had a son that I had never seen. I was coming home to a new world of having a family and having new responsibilities. But they were responsibilities that I was glad to accept.”
You can read the Vietnam stories of more than 50 community men at garnerwall.com.
You can support Vietnam veterans by visiting The Wall That Heals at Garner's Lake Benson Park on April 16 through 19, by viewing The Wall's escort into Garner on April 14 or by attending one of our special events.
Check out garnerwall.com for more details, more stories and more information.
