PFC Berry Joe Bridges
By the time Berry Joe Bridges turned 18, three of his four older brothers had already joined the Marine Corps and the Vietnam War was in full swing. It just seemed natural for Joe to follow in their footsteps. There were six children in all, born to Bessie Aline and John Calvin Bridges. Chuck, Bill and John had all enlisted in the Marine Corps. Earl died at the age of 25. The only girl was Zetta. They grew up on a farm outside of Boydsville.
Like a lot of kids, once done with school, Joe was ready to see more of the world. Chuck, his oldest brother was living in Anaheim, CA, having already served eight years as a Marine, and Joe went to live with him. It wasn’t long before he decided it was his turn to enlist in the Marines like his brothers.
Within months he was in Vietnam. Before long he would be the first Rector High School alumni to die on Vietnam soil. It would be years before Chuck found out what happened at the end of his baby brother’s short life. One day as Chuck was surfing on-line he came across a patch associated with the “1/9 The Walking Dead” a reference to the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines which he thought was Joe’s unit. After calling their sister and confirming the address on an old letter from Joe, it became clear that indeed, Joe had served as part of the 1/9, one of the most elite units in Vietnam and with one of the highest death rates.
They had gotten the knick-name of “The Walking Dead” from Ho Chi Minh because he could not stop them. No matter how many casualties they suffered, they just kept coming. Chuck added Joe’s name to the on-line list of 1/9 casualties, not thinking that it would provoke a phone call from a man that had been with Joe on the day he died.
Joe had been a newcomer in Vietnam and Bill Owens, an old timer, took him under his wing. It wasn’t hard. Joe was a good-natured kid. Everyone liked him, and he got along with them all. Bill, a radio operator, made it his business to show Joe the ropes, keeping him close when he could. On June 14, 1967 they were taking heavy fire in an area that had been previously occupied by the Viet Cong. Trip wires and mines added danger to an already deadly situation. As bullets rained down around them, they looked around for cover. Joe spotted a foxhole dug and left by the retreating Viet Cong troops and lunged for it.
Before Bill could shout a warning, Joe had flung himself into the trench and landed on a mine at the bottom. The explosion was deafening for Bill and lethal for Joe. That’s the way things happened in Vietnam at that time. A life ended before it had even begun in earnest. The fate of way too many young men in those years of war.
Berry Joe Bridges was one of 58000 United States military personnel who lost their lives in the Vietnam war. The Ultimate Sacrifice was made as he fought for the freedoms we all enjoy today. Rest in peace, young Joe Bridges. I am sorry I never got to know you. I am sorry you never got to find your way into full adulthood. It is not enough, but I thank you for your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your family.
