A Memorial Day Stroll Through Chestnut Grove Cemetery

My wife Mary Glenn and I often walk in Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Herndon. Which may sound odd to some people, but when you live in a place for over forty years, there are just so many friends to visit.

On this day before Memorial Day, I stop for a few minutes at Kate’s stone, just a few days short of what would have been her tenth birthday. Her place is marked with reminders of what a special child she was, reminders of all the people who so frequently stop by to say hello.

Perhaps it is the presence of the flag poles all around the cemetery -- there will be flags on each of these poles on Memorial Day -- but I pause a bit longer than usual and look around a bit more than usual. And there in the row just in front of Kate, I spot the marker reserved for veterans. 

• Wayne Minor Kidwell

• Virginia

• 101 Airborne Div

• Vietnam PH

• June 9, 1948 - March 8, 1968

I spend a lot of time researching family history records. Unlike some, it’s not so much the dates and facts that captivate me -- I can never tell a second cousin twice removed from a great aunt to save my ilife -- but rather the stories behind them. And perhaps a fear that if we don’t pause every once in a while to tell and retell stories, those behind the stories will be lost.

So for Memorial Day I decide I will learn a bit more about Wayne Minor Kidwell.

Sergeant Kidwell served in the 101st Airborne Division, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry, A Company. The 101st is a well known and richly decorated division. Per Wikipedia,

Established in 1918, the 101st Division was first constituted as an airborne unit in 1942.[12] During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord (the D-Day landings and airborne landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France), Operation Market Garden, the liberation of the Netherlands and its action during the Battle of the Bulge around the city of Bastogne, Belgium. During the Vietnam War, the 101st Airborne Division fought in several major campaigns and battles, including the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969.

I find a terrific article about Sergeant Kidwell by Barbara Glakas -- Remembering Sgt. Wayne M. Kidwell, U.S. Army from 2013. 

Wayne Minor Kidwell was born in 1948 to Kenneth and Emily Kidwell. As a child he lived in the Fox Mill area of Reston and attended Navy Elementary School.  His family moved to Ballou Street in Herndon when he was middle school-age. Wayne liked working on his grandparent's farm; he enjoyed plowing and planting corn, potatoes, and other vegetables. He also liked hunting, fishing, go-karts, and fast cars as he got older. He was described as someone who was strong, who had nerves of steel, and who would always stick up for or help anyone in need. He was very passionate about serving his country. When he decided to enlist in the Army he was underage and had to have his parents sign for him.

An Army company typically consists of three platoons and 60-200 soldiers. Sergeant Kidwell began his tour in Vietnam with A Company in December 1967; Company A almost immediately came under fire. 

Four members of Company A were killed in action shortly after arriving in Vietnam

BINKO GEORGE                     PFC   21   27-Dec-67   A CO

CASON WILLIAM ARNOLD    PFC   21   27-Dec-67   A CO

GERWATOWSKI, JOSEPH     SGT   20   19-Jan-68   A CO 

MOORE, JAMES RUSSELL    PFC   23   19-Jan-68   A CO

Company A was involved in a number of actions during February, resulting in the deaths of 17 members of Sergeant Kidwell’s company.

BROWN, JOHN THOMAS              PFC 19 01-Feb-68 A CO

HAMILTON, JAMES EDWARD      SGT 19 01-Feb-68 A CO

HOLLAND, JOSEPH PHILLIP        CPT 25 01-Feb-68 A CO

DE MELLO, CLYDE LAWRENCE      CPL   18   09-Feb-68   A CO

NORTON, THOMAS                           SP4   20   09-Feb-68   A CO

NOVEL, CHARLES EDWARD            SP4   21   09-Feb-68   A CO

ROUNSEVILLE, JOSEPH WILFRED 1SG   30   09-Feb-68   A CO

TEREJKO, BENJAMIN JOHN JR       SP4   20   09-Feb-68   A CO

WAITE, DONALD STEVEN                SP4   19   09-Feb-68   A CO

SAUNDERS, RANDALL LEROY           SP4   20   16-Feb-68  A CO 

VOLLMER, VALENTINE BERNARD   SP4   20   16-Feb-68   A CO

PERSHING, RICHARD WARREN     2LT   25   17-Feb-68    A CO

HARRELL, RONNIE   PFC   19   19-Feb-68   A CO

MC GEE, HERMAN                     PFC   21   22-Feb-68   A CO

NEILL, JOE MELVIN                   PFC   18   22-Feb-68   A CO

KROMREY DENNIS JOHN   PFC   21   26-Feb-68   A CO

TROLLINGER, JIMMY MICHAEL   PFC   20   27-Feb-68   A CO

Nine members of Company A, including Sergeant Wayne Kidwell, died in the battle of Battle of Ap Dong Lam on March 7-8, 1968.

TEDRICK, WARREN GAMBIEL   SGT   20   07-Mar-68   A CO

ARNDT, CRAIG ALAN                  SP4   20   08-Mar-68   A CO

BOWERS, WILLIAM JAMES         SP4   20   08-Mar-68   A CO

HUDSON, SAMUEL BERNARD   PFC   19   08-Mar-68   A CO

KIDWELL, WAYNE MINOR          SGT   19   08-Mar-68   A CO

SHRAMKO, MICHAEL ANGELO  PFC   19   08-Mar-68   A CO

STEPHENS, SONNIE                      PFC   24   08-Mar-68   A CO

VILLAFRANCO, RODOLFO          SP4    19   08-Mar-68   A CO

WILLIAMS, BENHAROLD            PFC   18   08-Mar-68   A CO

Less than three months in Vietnam, and 30 soldiers in Company A already killed in action. 

Average age = 20 years, 6 months.

Each one gone now for 43 Memorial Days. Each one with a family. Each one with a story. 

Including 19-year-old Purple Heart Winner Sergeant Wayne Minor Kidwell from Herndon, Virginia, who loved go-karts and fast cars. Buried in Chestnut Grove Cemetery, just a few feet from our friend Kate, who loved dinosaurs.