Faces of War: Photos of Local Men Killed in Vietnam Sought

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When veterans from the Vietnam War returned to the United States, it was a tumultuous time in history. The public was outraged, and those returning to their homeland were often met with hostility and vulgarity. 

Throughout the years, most people have realized the treatment was unjust. Not only did the veterans help fight for people’s freedom, but they sacrificed their lives to do it. 

Although the pain caused will likely never be fully repaid, one woman has taken it upon herself to help an organization honor each and every veteran who lost his or her life during the Vietnam War. The task at hand is large, but with volunteers on the ground, she believes it is completely doable.

Janna Hoehn, a resident of Maui, Hawaii, is asking Lewis County for help. She wants to honor those who lost their lives during Vietnam, helping to place a face with each name. 

In all, Lewis County had 21 young men who died in Vietnam. Six of those men, although listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., do not have a photo to accompany their name.

Her plans are to change that. 

Faces Never Forgotten is an effort to gather photos of all the veterans listed on The Wall. With 58,300 names etched into the black granite, over 38,000 photos have been matched to those names. 

The photos and the stories collected will be featured in the Education Center, a building that will add both an educational and honorific component to the memorial, as well as online at the Virtual Wall of Faces.

“Putting a face with a name changes the whole dynamic of The Wall,” Hoehn said. “It keeps these soldiers alive and will honor them; our heroes’ stories and sacrifices will never be forgotten.”



Hoehn has worked hard to complete this task. She was able to find the remainder of 42 missing photos in Maui County, the county she currently resides in, as well as the six missing photos of soldiers from her childhood home in Hemet and San Jacinto, California. 

She continued her efforts collecting over 1,100 photos since May 2013 and her hope is to keep going. 

“I have always hoped I could do something for the Vietnam Veterans as the way they were treated when they returned,” she said. “Here is my chance.” 

Hoehn asks anyone who knew the six men to contact her. Even if those individuals do not have a photo of the person, she said more information would help aid the search. 

“If anyone is related, a friend or a classmate to any of the young men on the list, I would very much appreciate hearing from you,” Hoehn said. “Even if you don’t have a photo, but know which school any of these young men attended, it would be so helpful.”

She is also looking for community members who would be willing to volunteer and help find the remaining pictures if the search hits a dead end.

Hoehn said those who want to submit photos or information can do so by emailing neverforgotten2014@gmail.com. To find out more information about the Education Center or to make a donation to help build the center, check out www.vvmf.org/thewall.