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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Remembering Our Own: Santa Cruz Veterans
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Nelson, Robert
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Reproduced by permission of Robert L. Nelson and The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Nelson, Robert L. Remembering Our Own: the Santa Cruz County military roll of honor 1861-2010. Santa Cruz, CA: The Museum of Art & History, c2010.
Nelson, Robert L. Old Soldier: the story of the Grand Army of the Republic in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz, CA: The Museum of Art & History, c2004.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Description
An account of the resource
Biographies of military personnel from Santa Cruz County.
The majority of this collection is compiled from the work of local researcher Robert L. Nelson. The information is taken from his two books, "Old Soldier: the story of the Grand Army of the Republic in Santa Cruz County" and "Remembering Our Own" the Santa Cruz County military roll of honor 1861-2010."
For more information about this collection see the <a href="/omeka/about-the-remembering-our-own-collection">About page "Remembering Our Own</a>."<br /><br />Copies of "Remembering Our Own" are available through the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History.
Also included in this collection are video recordings of interviews with American war veterans. These interviews were conducted as part of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.
Document
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Original Format
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PAPER
Text
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"A mothers heart cannot be still" began a poem to Steven by his mother before his death.
Steven Wayne Herring was born in Watsonville, California on August 5, 1948, to Ruth and Cecil Herring. Along with sisters, Gail and Joyce, he attended local elementary schools and later enrolled in Watsonville High School. He was remembered in school as loving to fish; he would do anything to be able to go fishing. He also enjoyed riding horses and the thrill of the rodeo. On one occasion he was even known to have ridden a bucking bull. Herring left high school before graduating.
In July 1967, Steven Herring enlisted in the US Army where he earned his high school diploma. He completed basic training at Ft. Bliss, Texas, and advanced individual training at Ft. Huchuca, Arizona, where he qualified as an aircraft maintenance apprentice.
On January 6, 1968, he was sent to Vietnam and assigned as a door gunner on an UH-1C (Huey) helicopter. During his tour Steven received the Air Medal, which read:
“Private First Class Herring distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions while serving as a door gunner on a UH-ld helicopter involved in the insertion of elements of a Special Forces unit near Song Be. On the initial lift into the landing zone, a successful landing was made in spite of extreme natural hazards. On lift off from the landing zone, the flight began receiving heavy automatic weapons fire. Private First Class Herring began placing highly accurate suppressive fire on the enemy positions. His accurate and aggressive fire protected his aircraft and enabled it to fly to safety.”
Herring's helicopter was providing support to elements of the 25th Infantry Division and on June 5, 1969, while flying behind enemy lines at about 150 feet, was hit by small arms fire and "went in" [crashed]. One of the craft's crewmen [believed to be Steven] was killed in the crash and the remaining three were killed by enemy troops. For his part in the action, Specialist Fourth Class Steven Wayne Herring was posthumously awarded the Air Medal with 24 Oakleaf clusters and the Purple Heart. A month before the fateful mission his mother had written the following poem and sent it to her son:
“My Son in Viet Nam
A mother's heart cannot be still,
Until she sees her boy climb o'er the hill.
In the bed at night I lie
And see you, son, in the bunker, fire lighting the sky.
I pray for God to keep your way clear,
For a worried mother is waiting for you, Dear.
We miss you, Son, and wait for the day you will return.
With boys like you around, those Charleys soon will
learn.
Don't those Charleys know that they can't win? Our boys don't mess around, they really dig in.
Take care, Son, in that land of Viet Nam,
For back here, we're all waiting, Dear, especially your
Mom.
To Steve, with love, from Mom
Steven Herring's body was recovered and buried in the Pajaro Valley Memorial Park.
(VVMW; VVVW; WHSM; WRP, June 11, 1969; Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, Helicopter UH-1C 66-00552, http://www.bluemax-ara-assoc.com/aircraft/66-00552.HTM, [16 September 2008]; Starlight Café; My Son in Vietnam, http://thestarlitecafe.com/poems/50/poem_8203039112.html, [16 September 2008])
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RO-HERRING
Title
A name given to the resource
Steven W. Herring (1969/06/05)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Veterans
Wars-Vietnam War
Herring, Steven
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Nelson, Robert L.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Remembering our own: the Santa Cruz County military roll of honor 1861-2010. Santa Cruz, CA: The Museum of Art & History, c2010.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1960s
Format
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TEXT
Language
A language of the resource
EN
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
OBIT
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Reproduced by permission of Robert L. Nelson and The Museum of Art & History.
Biography
County at War