CPL Gary Nels Nelson, USMC December 24, 1944 - June 4, 1966
This Memorial is to honor and remember Gary Nels Nelson from Glendale, California. Gary Nelson was never able to live his life and experience the Joys of living like those of us who survived him, for he was cut off in the bloom of his youth when he was killed on June 4, 1966 at the tender age of twenty-one, when he hit a trip wire of a land mine while on Patrol, in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. Gary was an only child, born Christmas Eve, 1944, the son of Shirley and Phillip Nelson of Glendale, California. Gary attended Glendale schools, and eventually, Glendale High School where he graduated in 1963. Later he was to attend Glendale Junior College, where it was later reported in the Campus newspaper, the "Vaquero," that he was killed in Vietnam. He was well liked by his classmates and friends, and I heard that he was loved by all who knew him. I never knew Gary in life, but I knew him for over 32 years in death. I will explain... In 1967, I came to know him in a very strange and "special" way. This "special" way I have told and wish to share in greater detail in my "Trip for Healing." You can read it by clicking on the Button below. I am hoping some of his friends will come forward and give a detailed history of their experiences with Gary. The above picture, his Senior Class Portrait, from the 1963 Stylus, the Glendale High School Year book, was provided by George Mason, a former classmate of Gary's. I wish to heartfully thank George for his desire to help me in this way, to create this Memorial to Gary, so that he will never be forgotten. As far as how and why I feel about Gary... Though I have never met him, I can only say that, because of that strange connection to Gary, over the passing years of my mis-guided mourning of him, that I have come to feel like I am his friend, and wish to nurture this friendship for the rest of my days. It is for this reason that in 1996, I entered the Locked Garden of Honor in the Court of Freedom, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Glendale, California, and put a bouquet of flowers on his niche, and sat there in silence and in prayer, talking to him and to God, and wishing him well. I also vowed then and there, that I would continue this brotherhood till I, myself, am no longer in this world, and until the day that I will meet him in person, in that sweet place where he continues his Life today. God bless you Gary Nelson, those of us who love you, will never forget you.
This Memorial is to honor and remember Gary Nels Nelson from Glendale, California.
Gary Nelson was never able to live his life and experience the Joys of living like those of us who survived him, for he was cut off in the bloom of his youth when he was killed on June 4, 1966 at the tender age of twenty-one, when he hit a trip wire of a land mine while on Patrol, in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam.
Gary was an only child, born Christmas Eve, 1944, the son of Shirley and Phillip Nelson of Glendale, California. Gary attended Glendale schools, and eventually, Glendale High School where he graduated in 1963.
Later he was to attend Glendale Junior College, where it was later reported in the Campus newspaper, the "Vaquero," that he was killed in Vietnam.
He was well liked by his classmates and friends, and I heard that he was loved by all who knew him. I never knew Gary in life, but I knew him for over 32 years in death. I will explain...
In 1967, I came to know him in a very strange and "special" way. This "special" way I have told and wish to share in greater detail in my "Trip for Healing." You can read it by clicking on the Button below.
I am hoping some of his friends will come forward and give a detailed history of their experiences with Gary. The above picture, his Senior Class Portrait, from the 1963 Stylus, the Glendale High School Year book, was provided by George Mason, a former classmate of Gary's. I wish to heartfully thank George for his desire to help me in this way, to create this Memorial to Gary, so that he will never be forgotten.
As far as how and why I feel about Gary... Though I have never met him, I can only say that, because of that strange connection to Gary, over the passing years of my mis-guided mourning of him, that I have come to feel like I am his friend, and wish to nurture this friendship for the rest of my days. It is for this reason that in 1996, I entered the Locked Garden of Honor in the Court of Freedom, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Glendale, California, and put a bouquet of flowers on his niche, and sat there in silence and in prayer, talking to him and to God, and wishing him well. I also vowed then and there, that I would continue this brotherhood till I, myself, am no longer in this world, and until the day that I will meet him in person, in that sweet place where he continues his Life today. God bless you Gary Nelson, those of us who love you, will never forget you.
Semper Fi! ~ Brother ! Your 'Mystic Friend' Jake, Hoover High School, Glendale, California Class of '62 - 'The Biggest and Best'
Read about my return trip to California, a Trip for Healing.
No more Sad Good-bye's
Our son, so much time has passed away since you said goodbye: How we remember the tears! Yet your handsome, smiling face is as clear to us, today Through the mists of the passing years.
~
With your birth, you gave us such wonderful joy... In our youth, what happiness you brought to us two, When God gave us such a wonderful boy, Our Pride was complete in you!
How can we describe the emptiness that we daily and yearly must face? In inadequate words, that we cannot express, Nor the sorrow that time cannot erase?
We had you, it seemed, for such a little while, From childhood, as to a man you slowly grew.. We can still see your face, and your lovely smile, And the love we had then, we still have for you.
If we could have but one answered prayer: To see you son, as you are today... And in you, our son, the Pride we share, Has never gone away!
Though son, you're gone, and though we had to part, Know, this, that our love for you will never die; Your memory is safe within our heart And we'll never again say goodbye.
So son, be at rest, find in God, Perfect Peace... The time will come when we'll see your smiling face... Then sorrows will end, and our tears then will cease, When there, in That Perfect Love we'll embrace.
No more tears we'll shed, no more mournful sighs, And our Happiness will forever increase. And our Joy will be Full: No more sad goodbyes, in that Place of Perfect Peace...
When the burden of our soul is overwhelming, and the load, we doubt we can bear... We can go to our knees, and in faith resounding, And find the Lord Comforting us there.
by Jake November 1, 1996 This Poem is Dedicated to Phillip and Shirley Nelson In Loving Memory of their Son, Gary Nels Nelson Who gave his life valiantly in Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, June 4, 1966 - Gone but not Forgotten. Copyright 1996 - All Rights Reserved
Gary Nelson...... this could have been me, or anyone in the 6th Grade, but it was Gary. He had all the same hopes and dreams as any other kid. He loved baseball, going swimming, and climbing trees, making tree houses and playing dirt lot baseball, and tag football. He was, after all a real boy!
9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era (Aug 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975) and 2,594,000 served in the country of Vietnam and where more than 58,202 never returned home. Gary was one of them. See the Vietnam Statistics Page for more details
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A Warrior's Affirmation
Wall Database Loss Data
Wall Database Information supplied by The Vietnam Casualty Search Page
--- General / Personal ---
Last name: NELSON First name: GARY NELS Home of Record (official): GLENDALE State (official): CA Date of Birth: Sunday, December 24, 1944 Sex: Male Race: Caucasian Marital Status: Single
--- Military ---
Branch: MARINE CORPS Rank: CPL Serial Number: 2062763 Component: Regular Pay grade: E4 MOS (Military Occupational Specialty code): 0351
--- Action ---
Start of Tour: Unknown/Not reported Date of Casualty: Saturday, June 4, 1966 Age at time of loss: 21 Casualty type: (A1) Hostile, died Reason: Other explosive device (Ground casualty) Country: South VietNam Province: Quang Nam The Wall: Panel 08E - Row 007
A Message from one of Gary's Childhood Friends
A Newspaper Clipping of a Letter Gary wrote to his friend Craig Cook
A Copy of Gary Nelson's Obituary
Other Gary Nelson Memorials
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