Vietnam Veterans of America Memorial Day Candle Light Vigil

Clarksville, TN – It is a solemn occasion when a nation gathers together to honor its soldiers, those who lived to come home, but even more importantly those who did not. No remains were returned during the previous year, that leaves 30 remaining missing POW/MIA’s from the State of Tennessee. Each one was honored in a ceremony held in front of the William O. Beach Civic Center at Veterans Plaza in Clarksville Tennessee on Sunday evening.

The Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 396 holds this Memorial Day Vigil each year to remember the men and women who were left behind in Vietnam when American forces left that country in 1975.

The Local vigil was first held in 1989 the same year that Chapter 396 was chartered. They consider it an honored duty to call the roll each year so that these lost bothers and sisters are not forgotten. The first reading contained 43 names on the roster, since then 13 remains have been returned or located. This was their 23rd year performing this solemn duty.

The colors were posted as an honor guard of Montgomery Central High School JROTC. Then a single chair representing all of the POW/MIA’s nationwide was placed in a position of honor before the audience. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and a moment of silence was held.

Then Rev. Scott Witt delivered the invocation.

Oh heavenly father creator of all mankind, we thank you so very much for all the good and perfect gifts that you have given us.

We thank you for the gift of this beautiful evening. We thank you so very much for this wonderful land that we have, that we can worship you and your son freely. Thank you for the opportunity that you’ve given us to do that. Oh heavenly father. I thank you so very much for the sacrifices that been made by brave men and brave women, their families, and their loved ones so that we can enjoy these freedoms.

Lord bless this evening, bless all the families whose relatives are still missing! Lord, I pray your blessings and healing for them all.  Bless the time that we spend together in Jesus name we pray. Amen!

The guest speaker for this year was U.S. Army Col. (Ret) Tom Denney. Also on hand were Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers, and her Chief of Staff, Phil Harpel, Clarksville City Mayor Kim McMillan, and her Chief of Staff Bill Harpel, Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts, Montgomery County Trustee Brenda Radford, Clarksville City Councilman Geno Grubbs, Clarksville City Councilwoman Kaye Jones, and several Gold Star Wives.

“We have with us, members of a very special group some of the Gold Star Wives setting in the audience. We are very appreciative of them and their losses, and we appreciate the message that they carry forward,” said Emcee Gary Ezell.

Ezell spoke about the special presentation of a wall containing the name of the POW/MIAs from Clarksville, which was provided by A.J. Perrone. “He is a very staunch supporter of the POW/MIA issue. We’re very very proud of him and all that he does,” he said. Ezell continued, “He has with him representatives of two groups the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club and the Legacy Motorcycle Club.”

Next Ezell introduced Colonel Tom Denney.

Colonel Tom Denney currently resides in Clarksville, Tennessee, with his wife, Sandra. They recently wrote celebrated 53 years of marriage. They have one son Colonel (Ret) Jay Denney and his wife, Teresa, who have two children.

He earned collegiate degrees, BS and him be a, from Auburn University, along with an advanced manage

ment certificate from Emory University School of Business in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed military schooling attending the the Air War College, the Army’s Command and Staff College, the Army Aviation School (fixed an artery), and all branch level schools.

During his military career. Col. Denney served 3 tours in Vietnam as a pilot/commander. The first was with the 18th Aviation Company in 1962, the 1st Air Cavalry Division (Air Mobile) in 1967-68, and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in 1971-72. In 1976, he was tasked up on the Army’s attack helicopter Battalion, which is now composed of 3 attack battalions were 2 of them assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

During his 30+ years of service, Denney served in command positions at every level from Lieutenant to Col. with the last being as the Garrison commander, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He is a master Army aviator with ratings in both fixed and rotary aircraft.

His secondary specialty was personnel, where he served in numerous assignments at all levels.

After retirement, Denney was employed as a sales consultant/manager for Ed Groves Oldsmobile Cadillac, Inc. He is currently Vice President/General Manager for Coldwell Banker Conroy Marable & Holleman.

He has also been very active in community affairs serving on numerous charity organizations boards educational boards and with numerous military groups.

“We are very proud to claim him as a resident of Clarksville, Tennessee,” said Ezell.

Denney opened with a joke. “Everybody’s got a Chief of Staff here tonight, except for me and Joe Pitts,” Denney said. “Joe, what happened to us, buddy,” He asked. “Ah, we drew the short straw,” responded Pitts. “That’s what happens when you run out of people to play with,” concluded Denney. He then quipped, “He (Gary Ezell) mentioned that I was involved in a lot of affairs in Clarksville. I would like to mention that’s business affairs.”

Then Denney moved on to his remarks which we are including in full.

[wpaudio url=”https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/TomDenney.mp3″ dl=”0″ text=”Col. Tom Denney – Memorial Day Remarks”]

After Denney finished Gary Ezell returned to the podium and began honoring the POW/MIA’s from Tennessee.

During the ceremony, The thirty names were slowly read aloud, the bell pealed, as someone in the background intoned “Absent, but not forgotten.” The flame was lit. The empty chair, draped with a POW/MIA shirt and a placard, identifying the missing solider that it represented, was carried forward by a Montgomery Central JROTC, cadet who once it was in place stepped up before it, and rendered a silent salute.

At the end of the ceremony the final two chairs representing Maj. Howard V. Andre Jr from Memphis Tennessee, and the chair for Capt. William T. McPhail of Chattanooga Tennesse were carried up by the cadets and saluted. Then a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America stepped forward, saluted the chair, and then solemnly removed it to be retired.

Photo Gallery

The POW/MIA’s

Below are the names of the missing Tennesseans. We offer our fervent hope that they too all find their way home once more.

1^st Lieutenant John R. Baldridge Jr.
USAF
Memphis, TN
November 20^th 1969

Lance Corporal James A. Benton
USMC
Daisy, TN
April 27^th 1967

Specialist 4^th Class Dwight A. Bremmer
U.S. Army
Oakland, TN
December 14^th 1971

Specialist 4^th Class James A. Brown
U.S. Army
Humbolt, TN
August 12, 1970

Lieutenant Colonel Donald F. Casey
USAF
Chattanooga, TN
June 23^rd 1968

Sergeant Echol W. Coalston Jr.
U.S. Army
Memphis, TN
January 21^st 1968

Corporal James B. Conway
U.S. Army
Franklin, TN
April 13^th 1966

1^st Lieutenant Larry W. Cotton
USAF
Nashville, TN
March 9^th 1970

Lieutenant Commander Carroll O. Crain Jr.
U.S. Navy
Memphis, TN
March 8^th 1967

Lance Corporal Richard H. Dallas
USMC
Memphis, TN
April 27^th 1967

Private First Class Joe L. Delong
U.S. Army
McMinnville, TN
May 18^th 1967

Specialist 4^th Class Billy J. Ellis
U.S. Army
Elizabethton, TN
January 3^rd 1968

Sergeant Donald P. Gervais
U.S. Army
Clarksville, TN
May 1^st 1968

1^st Lieutenant Gary A. Glandon
USAF
Powell, TN
May 26^th 1966

Seaman Apprentice Thomas A. Goetsch
U.S. Navy
Memphis, TN
September 17, 1972

Captain Lucius L. Heiskell
USAF
Memphis, TN
February 6^th 1967

Specialist 4^th Class Jerry A. Hiemer
U.S. Army
Memphis, TN
November 11^th 1965

Private First Class James D. Hunter
U.S. Army
Portland, TN
October 29^th 1968

Major Dale A. Johnson
USAF
Elizabethton, TN
November 27^th 1966

1^st Lieutenant Richard C. Lannom
USMC
Union City, TN
March 1^st 1968

Petty Officer 1^st Class James C. Newman Jr.
U.S. Navy
Knoxville, TN
February 6^th 1968

Sergeant Calvin A. Norris
U.S. Army
Monterey, TN
November 3^rd 1970

Major Lawerence B. Tatum
U.S. Army
Chattanooga, TN
September 10^th 1966

Lieutenant Colonel James A. Treece
USAF
Memphis, TN
October 7^th 1966

1^st Lieutenant John T. Welshan
USAF
Oak Ridge, TN
March 3^rd 1968

Colonel David R. Williams
USAF
Memphis, TN
April 1^st 1967

Captain William C. Woods Jr.
USAF
Paris, TN
September 2^nd 1972

Staff Sergeant Lawerence Woods
USAF
Clarksville, TN
October 24^th 1964

Accounted for in the last year

Major Howard V. Andre Jr.
USAF
Memphis, TN
July 8^th 1969

Captain William T. McPhail
U.S. Navy
Chattanooga, TN
May 22^nd 1968