VVMF

TALES FROM THE ROAD

Bakersfield, California
March 4-7, 2010

By 1975, U.S. involvement in Vietnam was coming to a close. The draft had ended, and soldiers were finally returning home. For Tim and his fellow Marines, though, the war was not over, and the danger was still very real. Tim felt the reality of that danger on April 29, 1975, when North Vietnamese forces attacked Tan San Nhut airport. Mortar fire rocked the airport’s front gates, as two Marines were killed in the explosion. Seeing his two friends down, Tim rushed to pull the men out of the area while continuing to take fire from the enemy. As he pulled his fellow Marines to safety, Tim was shot twice. One bullet caught him the hand, while the other struck him in the head.

Tim managed to survive the attack, but he would spend the next six months in a coma, followed by another two years in the hospital. Doctors told him he would never walk again, but this Marine would not accept that and vowed to prove them wrong. And prove them wrong he did. Thirty-five years later Tim marched across a park in Bakersfield, California, as he helped set up The Wall That Heals.

For several hours, Tim helped lead the effort to set up the half-scale replica of The Wall. But, when it was finished, he would not approach it. The memories of that fateful day at Tan San Nhut airport were simply too fresh in his mind, and facing The Wall was simply too emotional to handle. As the day wore on, Tim began to open up about his experiences in Vietnam and admitted that he had never been to the Memorial, but had always wanted to touch the names of his two friends he dragged out of the attack. After some soul-searching, he decided this day would finally be the day.

As the sun began to set, Tim slowly approached The Wall. When asked if he needed the location of the two names, Tim smiled and shook his head. He knew exactly where the names were, because his friends Darwin Judge and Charles McMahon were the last two casualties on Vietnamese soil. Tim sat at the apex of The Wall for about 15 minutes as the light of the day continued to vanish behind the mountains. As he walked away, all he could say was thank you, but it was the tone of his voice that pleased everyone who heard. It reflected intense emotion and long overdue relief - a relief that would finally allow Tim to confront his emotions and start to heal.

The sacrifice of Lance Cpl. Darwin L. Judge and Cpl. Charles McMahon Jr., USMC, will never be forgotten, for their memory will live forever on Panel 1W, Line 124 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.