Richard D. Bartley. A 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Missing since 1950.

ttocsland
May 30th, 2005
Current Mood:contemplative
Current Music:Mythbusters chit chat
In memorial, a person I don’t know. A name, in essence. And what is in a name, I ask?

Fall 1989. Hahn Air Base, West Germany. Professional Military Education, in preparation for becoming a non-commissioned officer.

For a small donation, a bracelet. Choose a past war/conflict – a particular state if that matters to you.

Red or silver for Vietnam era. Blue for the Korean conflict.

And thus I was introduced to 2LT Richard D. Bartley. USAF. 4-Dec-1950. Korea. Idaho.

He’s on my mind, obviously. Memorial day and what not.
I spent the day helping Declan and Marty&Kate with their build of the set for the show ‘Waving Goodbye’ – I was going to make a note on one of the set pieces – behind the luann, or on a 1×3 that was going to be hanging up in the lighting grid. Just a note, to let no one in particular know. Got to thinking that I’d not be able to help a small, non-profit theater company work on constructing their latest project, especially if that project was at all controversial, if it wasn’t for those who’ve gone before and sacrificed their lives and/or sanity in the name of freedom. How do you say ‘thank you’? – certainly a graffiti of their name on a ‘not real – realistic’ concrete column signifies … not enough. So I live journal a note.

Live Journal wasn’t there in 1950 or 1989. I wasn’t able to search Google in 1989 to see the annotation “Died while missing” next to Richard’s name on a list of Idaho’s fallen heroes.

Just a bracelet, and a spot in my heart and soul.

Thanks Richard. Your sacrifice is appreciated, and you are not forgotten.

TK http://www.ttocsland.com/2K4/NYttocsland/images/freedom.JPG

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