VLP

Above is just a brainstorming slide for our group--we have really just begin to research Mr. Smith's life. You can maximize the window above for review.

Clifford Wayne Smith died at 70 years-old on December 11 of this past year. His body is now at rest in the Georgia National Cemetery, because he served in the United States military for 22 months from 1969-1970.

I now feel the burden of honoring his whole life--not just the 22 months he spent preparing to go to Vietnam and then his heroic, medal-awarded service there--mainly because in 2014 he gave a 41-minute interview to a UCF student, one in which he candidly shared about his service and his difficulty transitioning back to civilian life. Honestly, I feel a bit daunted.

I am part of a team, and have much confidence in our competence as historians and our clarity of vision...but for some reason the fact that his loved ones lost him not even three months ago now intimidates me. That said, having lost my parents much earlier than I thought I would in 2017 and 2018, I know that there is a distinct possibility that the bereaved would find helping us to remember him therapeutic. So, I don't think wisdom dictates giving it time; the sequence humans follow in grieving seems remarkably diverse, and I know for sure I would have found consolation in knowing--even a matter of months after my loss--that a group of people were dedicated to preserving and broadcasting the value of who is gone.

We all, along with everyone we love, will one day be history, and I think the recency of Mr. Smith's death will make contextualizing his life and sharing it to others feel more like a solemn charge and privilege than a professional, scholarly enterprise--I might be daunted, but I'm looking forward to it.