Vietnam veteran reflects on fallen soldiers during decades‑long Memorial Day tradition

WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) -- For more than 40 years, Vietnam War veteran Jim Whittaker, 80, has spent every Memorial Day sitting on a bench overlooking the Vietnam War Memorial in Brandywine Park, quietly honoring the men he served beside.

"Every year, I come to this memorial and meditate and think about the guys I served with and most particularly the guys that I lost in Vietnam," Whittaker said.

Whittaker served as an Army infantry platoon leader, overseeing nearly 40 young soldiers at the height of the war. "It was pretty bad. We were losing between 200 and 250 men a week. It was a scary place," he said.

Three soldiers who died in 1969 remain especially close to his heart. Whittaker has worked to preserve their memories through stories and photographs in his book "Hired Killer."

"Scared young men, but brave to have gone where many people wouldn't be willing to go," he said.

Whittaker recalled that 20yearold Michael Erhart of Ohio was killed by sniper fire in a tunnel. "I had to ID his body, and that was pretty depressing," he said.

He said 20yearold Lonnie Bridges of Louisiana died in a friendlyfire incident after an artillery shell landed in their area. "I tried to give him some comfort. He was in shock. Later that day, he died," Whittaker said.

Another soldier, 20yearold Robert Whalen of Florida, died in what Whittaker described as an accident. "He was one of my best men, and he was in the field for a while," he said.

More than 58,000 U.S. service members were killed in the Vietnam War. As a survivor, Whittaker says his mission now is to ensure their sacrifices are remembered.

"Remember what Memorial Day is all about," he said. "It's thinking of the people we lost, particularly in combat."

Whittaker continues to serve veterans today, volunteering weekly at the Wilmington VA Medical Center.