A Tribute to Donald Ray Bledsoe

There is a small cemetery located in the church yard of the New Salem Baptist Church on the east side of U.S. Highway 25 near London, KY. With a quick search you will find the tombstone for Donald Ray Bledsoe. The first date on the stone is June 29, 1947. On that day he was born into a family of common, ordinary, working class folk.  His father was a big hulk of a man who made his living as a construction worker. His mother stayed home and tended to their large and growing family. They were faithful in the New Salem Baptist Church, the same congregation my family was a part of. Donald Ray Bledsoe was 10 years older than me so I am remembering him as one of the “big boys” at church. I was just a child. But I remember the day he was baptized. The church did not have an indoor baptismal pool. So often we would baptize outdoors in a little pond that was located across U.S. Highway 25 and probably about the distance of two city blocks beyond. After church was over one Sunday morning we all made the trek across the highway and down to the pond and Donald Ray Bledsoe and some others were baptized. The folks who were baptized had to walk barefoot and wet back to the church where I suppose they changed clothes in the basement. It is funny the images that linger in our mind. For me the sight of him walking barefoot and wet back to the church is the lingering image I have of him

It was not to long after that baptism that his number came up. He was drafted into the United States Army. Upon completion of his training he was assigned to C CO, 1^st BN, 8^th CAV RGT, 1 CAV DIV. He was given ID No 51949865 and sent to Vietnam. His tour began Wednesday, Feb. 5, 1969. It ended 38 days later on Saturday, March 15, 1969. That is the second date on the tombstone. Somewhere near Hua Nghia, South Vietnam Private First Class Donald Ray Bledsoe suffered multiple fragmentation wounds and died. He was 21 years of age. Three or four weeks later his body was returned and he was buried in the church yard.

At the time of his death my family had moved to a different city. I am sure my parents let their condolences be known but other than that we would have had little contact with the family. He was however a topic of conversation. I was 12 years old at the time. I knew a war was going on but did not know much about it and frankly did not worry much about it. But I now knew someone who had died in Vietnam. The Vietnam War had become real. It was sad. To this day Donald Ray Bledsoe is the only person I personally knew who died in Vietnam. I have often wondered how his family got along afterwards.

I believe the year was 1996. My family and I were on vacation in Washington D. C. We visited the Vietnam War Memorial. I told my wife and children that I personally knew one person who had died in Vietnam and that I wanted to find his name on the memorial. I found it on Panel 29W Line 043. I ran my finger across his name. I read his name out loud – Donald Ray Bledsoe. Then something happened that I had not expected and that I was not prepared for and that I could not prevent. I began to cry. My voice broke. I shed tears. My children looked at me anxiously. I did not cry long but I cried until I was ready to stop.

It has been nearly 44 years since Donald Ray Bledsoe became a casualty of hostile forces in a distant land. He was serving dutifully at the summons of his government. He yielded to the situation of his times for a cause he could scarcely understand.  His personal dreams and ambitions became secondary and were never given the chance to come to fruition.  But let us not forget that for his country and for the family and friends who loved him his life mattered.  As for me, I am grateful that in some small way he helped to shape my life.