Capture a part of your family's history with
a commemorative display for veterans. Displays accurately represent
how the "rack"
of medals would be worn on a dress uniform of those who have served.
A wonderful way to keep the memories of service alive for posterity.
Carole Cornett White lost her brother Don during the battle of LZ
Albany on November 17, 1965. Over 150 soldiers of the 2nd Bn., 7th
Cavalry died in the tall grass of the Ia Drang Valley that November,
each a brother, a father, a husband or son.
Don's Coming Home by Carole Cornett White
Much
has been written of the circumstances of my brother's death at the battle
of LZ Albany. The first I ever read was an article written
by Jack Smith for the Saturday Evening Post back in the sixties.
Don was also remembered in "We Were Soldiers Once and Young"
by Hal Moore and Joe Galloway as well as J.D. Colman's book, "Pleikue":
"Dawn of Helicopter Warfare" and in Don's good friend Larry
Gwinn's book, "Baptism of Fire". Of all the words written
about Don, the most special to me were from a Special Report of the
October 12,1992 edition of U.S. World News & Report. The
article was titled "Death in the Tall Grass" and was filled
with accounts of the battle from the then just released, "We
Were Soldiers Once And Young." The words were spoken by a young
lieutenant friend of Don's, by the name of Pat Payne. The feelings
he expressed were shared by everyone who knew my brother. For
Pat Payne of the Reconnaissance Platoon, shock set in when searchers
returned with the body of Lieutenant Don Cornett, the much-loved executive
officer of Charlie Company. "His face was turned to the
side", Payne remembers. "He looked like he was asleep.
A helicopter landed and stirred the wind. Cornett's hair blew
in the breeze and it was beyond my comprehension that such a wonderful
person had been killed."
Donald
Cornett was my brother. He was my older brother and in every sense
of the word, he was my big brother. It was a responsibility he took
seriously and a job he did well. Don was a person I could always
count on. We grew up as military brats and all the traveling around
never gave us the chance to make lasting friendships. Out of necessity
we became our own best friends. Don was a person everyone looked
up to. In school he was a natural leader and good student. He was
tall, athletic and handsome. Don excelled at everything he tried.
It
wasn't that things came easily to Don; he simply tried harder than
most. We both attended McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Don was two years ahead of me and was considered a big man on campus.
His senior year he was elected president of the student body. His
major was in history but his passion was ROTC. He was a born soldier
and in his senior year he became the ROTC Colonel of the Pershing
Rifles Drill Team, an honor of which he was very proud.
Much
has been written of the circumstances of my brother's death at the battle
of LZ Albany. The first I ever read was an article written
by Jack Smith for the Saturday Evening Post back in the sixties.
Don was also remembered in "We Were Soldiers Once and Young"
by Hal Moore and Joe Galloway as well as J.D. Colman's book, "Pleikue":
"Dawn of Helicopter Warfare" and in Don's good friend Larry
Gwinn's book, "Baptism of Fire". Of all the words written
about Don, the most special to me were from a Special Report of the
October 12,1992 edition of U.S. World News & Report. The
article was titled "Death in the Tall Grass" and was filled
with accounts of the battle from the then just released, "We
Were Soldiers Once And Young." The words were spoken by a young
lieutenant friend of Don's, by the name of Pat Payne. The feelings
he expressed were shared by everyone who knew my brother. For
Pat Payne of the Reconnaissance Platoon, shock set in when searchers
returned with the body of Lieutenant Don Cornett, the much-loved executive
officer of Charlie Company. "His face was turned to the
side", Payne remembers. "He looked like he was asleep.
A helicopter landed and stirred the wind. Cornett's hair blew
in the breeze and it was beyond my comprehension that such a wonderful
person had been killed."
Donald
Cornett was my brother. He was my older brother and in every sense
of the word, he was my big brother. It was a responsibility he took
seriously and a job he did well. Don was a person I could always
count on. We grew up as military brats and all the traveling around
never gave us the chance to make lasting friendships. Out of necessity
we became our own best friends. Don was a person everyone looked
up to. In school he was a natural leader and good student. He was
tall, athletic and handsome. Don excelled at everything he tried.
It
wasn't that things came easily to Don; he simply tried harder than
most. We both attended McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Don was two years ahead of me and was considered a big man on campus.
His senior year he was elected president of the student body. His
major was in history but his passion was ROTC. He was a born soldier
and in his senior year he became the ROTC Colonel of the Pershing
Rifles Drill Team, an honor of which he was very proud.
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