Carry That Weight
From Echoes of the Vietnam War by Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
January 22, 2026 · 34 min · Episode 109
About this episode
The episode tells the story of a young soldier killed in Vietnam and the emotional burden carried by his son for decades.
In May 1969, a 20-year-old farm boy from Illinois was killed at Dak To, just six weeks into his tour. He left behind a pregnant wife who would give birth to their son three months later. That son grew up angry, and he carried that weight a long time — 47 years — until he finally found a community to share it with.
Topics covered
- Vietnam War
- grief
- family
- community
- loss
- anger
Keywords
- Vietnam War
- Dak To
- grief
- family
- loss
- anger
- community
- soldier
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Illinois, Dak To
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