Small patrols to search out the enemy were a common experience for the young Texans who served as combat infantry “grunts” in Vietnam. This core fighting force relied on each other and the support of the military forces depicted in the panels for survival.
Stan Sellers served as a Navy Corpsman (medic) with a Marine reconnaissance patrol that went by the name “Team Dallas Girl.” The patrol came under intense fire by a North Vietnamese Army camp and barely made it out alive. Lieutenant Donald Matocha of Smithville, Texas, was killed in action.
The Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument stands as a permanent honor to all Texans who served in the Vietnam War – and also serve as a permanent memorial to the 3,417 Texans who never came home. This memorial is made through The 3417 Project, which individually honors each Texan who died or is missing in the Vietnam War.
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