Beyond The Names; A Tribute to Clermont County Ohio Vietnam War Dead:
From July 24, 1965, through October 3, 1972, thirty-nine men from Clermont County died in the Vietnam Theater of Operations from fragmentation shells, booby traps, bullets, accidents, and one by murder. Twenty-three were members of the U.S. Army, ten were U.S. Marines, five were U.S. airmen, and one was a U.S. Navy Corpsman attached to a marine unit. There were three officers. Eleven men, more than 25 percent, died in 1968 - the year with the highest U.S. casualties. February 1968 was the deadliest month for Clermonters, when five were killed, three on February 9 alone.
This is also a story about Clermont County. Founded in 1800, Clermont has a rich military tradition of responding to the nation's call by sending tens of thousands of sons and daughters to serve. At the outset of the war, Clermont was still largely rural. It was growing, however. Its population soared from 80,000 in 1960 to 98,654 in just five years. Milford, with a population of 4,849, was the largest village.
This project has been an incredible journey starting with a ten minute talk and ending with a 307-page book. I have interviewed dozens of people, traveled to Washington, D.C., twice to research the National Archives, and once to Vietnam. Despite these efforts, there were several men who simply eluded me. I apologize to those families and want to let you know that I meant them no disrespect. I still want to talk with you and will be happy to add to the story in subsequent printings.
During the last five years, I have learned a lot about the Vietnam War and the men who served. They deserve our respect for their guts, grit, professionalism, and devotion. Welcome Home.