Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)
- Who said, “Do not fear failure, but rather fear not trying.”?
- In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, “Do, or do not. There is no try.”?
- In what song did we hear the following:
Just a small-town girl
Livin’ in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
Have you ever put your all into a project and, when it’s complete, you wondered if it’s really done?
Writers do this all the time. You finish writing a book, go through the editing process, and then after weeks of waiting, you finally receive your first copy of the published book. Meanwhile, during that agonizing wait, you think of different scenes that you could retouch or a more accurate character description, or perhaps a different outcome, or … the list goes on and on.
Sometimes, homeowners may find themselves thinking they’ve completed a masterful job of installing a new appliance, only to find out the electric circuit can’t handle the extra load. I’m not naming names …
I’m sure there are many more examples.
We’ve all done stuff like that … crazy, yeah? But I’ve learned over the years that Life is a journey, one step followed by another …
See how I threw my tagline in there?
My Current Dilemma
A few months ago, I completed a very personal project: a book. It’s not about me and it’s not for me. It’s about men much braver and much more courageous than I.
The ‘Nam “AC-48” is a tribute to the 48 men from Alachua County, Florida (my hometown), who went to Vietnam but didn’t return. Since I self-published it, I’ve given away hundreds of copies to family members & friends, and many in my community. It’s been well-received. It’s not an easy read, but my goal was to share the stories of these men before the war, as well as what they did during the war. While it is available on Amazon, all proceeds from sales go to my local chapter Vietnam Veterans of America.
I was already planning a second edition with a few corrections and additional stories that family members shared with me since the book’s initial release. There were several family members who reached out that I had not been able to find during my initial research.
Of course, I want to include their stories.
But Wait … There’s More
Then …
About a month ago, I received a message through Facebook from a veteran whose brother served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War but didn’t make it home. He was from Gainesville, my hometown.
I asked if I could call and speak with him; I was a little confused. His brother’s name is not on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, and I’m not sure why.
The details are important, and I’m sharing them because I need some help … from you.
Wilmer Alton Bolton Jr. was a third-class Personnelman (PN3) stationed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga. According to Ticonderoga’s Deck Logs (available online), on August 18, 1964 (remember this date), he was reported absent from morning muster (0730). The accompanying destroyers began a systematic screen to search the surrounding waters. Several musters later (0926, 1008), PN3 Bolton remained absent. At 1033, after a systematic search of the ship, he was again reported missing and presumed overboard. At 1100, the captain commenced an air search. The ship’s latitude and longitude coordinates are recorded in the Deck Log.
Emerson Bolton, Alton’s younger brother, was simultaneously serving in the U.S. Navy; he was on the other side of the world aboard USS Roosevelt, another aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. He was assigned to VA-172, an attack squadron, when he first learned his brother was missing.
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
For those of us who were part of the Vietnam War era, the United States became involved in the war shortly after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which occurred on August 2, 1964. I’ll spare you the minute details, but from the reports, there was a clash between a U.S. Navy destroyer and several North Vietnamese naval vessels. The USS Ticonderoga was part of the fleet in the Gulf of Tonkin and launched aircraft to assist.
The outcome of this incident was the passage by the United States Congress of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which granted President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to assist any Southeast Asian country whose government was considered to be jeopardized by communist aggression.
Hence, the beginning of America’s longest war … until the Gulf War.
Research to Date
My two usual “go-to” sources for military records are Fold3 (a fee-based online research database) and the National Archives online catalog. I’ve been able to track Alton’s timeline from when he was first inducted into the Navy (September 1961) to San Diego Recruit Training Center to USS Kitty Hawk to USS Ticonderoga. These records include “Muster Lists.”
I also found several old Gainesville Sun newspaper articles (online via our awesome public library) that reported his progress from station to station—our old town newspaper did that in those days.
I contacted the Navy JAG’s office in DC, requesting information about the incident, but their response indicated the Navy does not hold these records and referred me to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); they also provided contact information.
I then contacted the NARA office and received a similar response: we cannot locate any records for this incident. They suggested I contact the National Personnel Records Center …
No, I am not discouraged nor frustrated. As I mentioned earlier, this is a mission, and I realize it will take significant time and may not lead to what I hope, but until I hit a dead end or a brick wall, I’ll continue to move forward.
I’ve also reached out to two Ticonderoga Facebook groups, asking for any knowledge or information. Several members remembered the incident, but had not additional info.
Potential Snag
The Pensacola Air Museum library’s researcher (USS Kitty Hawk recently held their reunion in Pensacola) offered a potential explanation for Alton not being on the Memorial Wall: he had been reported overboard on August 18, 1964. President Johnson did not sign Executive Order 11216, which established the official, legal “Vietnam Combat Zone,” until April 24, 1965, … eight months after Alton’s incident.
Still though …
My approach is pretty straightforward.
First, I’m not getting my hopes up, nor those of Alton’s family. Second, I’ve got the Ticonderoga Deck Logs; I’m trying to locate the “official” investigation report of Alton’s “missing and presumed overboard.”
That’s where I need some help.
I’ve contacted the Navy JAG office and the National Archives, but to date, no one seems to be able to locate that report. I do realize that there are hundreds of government storage locations, but this report has to exist somewhere, and I need to get a copy of it.
I just need to know where to look and who to ask.
Once I have a copy of the incident report and the deck logs (and perhaps Alton’s military records), then I can proceed to the next step.
There is a necessary procedure—and I certainly understand and agree there should be—for having a new name placed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall. But I can’t begin that process until I get all the necessary background materials in order.
… and that’s where I’m at.
I also need to modify the name of the book, which is easy, since it’s self-published.
If anyone has connections, suggestions, or an extra San Miguel Beer from PI, please let me know. I’m all ears (especially since most of my hair has disappeared).
Until we meet again,
Andy Adkins
Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books (www.azadkinsiii.com), many of which are free downloads (PDF, eBook format). He is currently retired and lives in Gainesville, Florida with his wife and life-long soulmate, Becky.
Answers:
- Roy T. Bennett.
- Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Yoda (Frank Oz).
- Don’t Stop Believin’ (1981), Journey; written by Stephen Ray Perry, Neal Joseph Schon, & Jonathan Cain.
Featured image: USS Ticonderoga (CV-14). Photo Credit: Official U.S. Navy photograph.