News-Info-Alerts

Re: Flag Raising

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: Ocyober 24, 2002

"POW/MIA flag raised in memory of veteran

By: SHEILA HOLDEN, Lifestyles Editor October 22, 2002

It's been more than a year since SSG Jerry Bridges was laid to rest beside his mother at Giles Memory Garden, almost 34 years after his death.

To commemorate his posthumous homecoming, 14 members of Tennessee Chapter 1 of Rolling Thunder Inc. and six members of Vietnam Veterans Chapter 262 gathered Sunday at the cemetery on Highway 11. The Rolling Thunder group brought and raised an official POW/MIA flag on the cemetery's pole underneath the American flag.

Attending the ceremony from Pulaski's Vietnam Veterans Chapter 262 were James Malone, Buster Stanford, Doug Bassham, Kevin Horan, James Fred Mills and Tom Lamar.

Bridges was 20 years old when he was officially declared Missing In Action on Oct. 27, 1968. Then a Specialist-5, he was the flight engineer aboard a Chinook helicopter when all contact was lost enroute on a resupply mission to Ban Me Thuot. After attempts to find the crew were exhausted, a military review board amended the MIA status to "presumed dead" on June 13, 1974. Through the years Bridges' mother, Ora Bass Bridges, kept her son's memory alive and worked with military officials in the attempts to find him.

However, she died before her son's remains were positively identified in 1994, and it was left up to his sister, Sandra Riley, to bring him home. After a ceremony in Washington, D. C., Bridges' remains were placed in a grave beside his mother in Giles Memory Garden June 10, 2001, and Rolling Thunder Chapter 1 conducted a ceremony to welcome him home.

Last Sunday, Oct. 20, 34 years after Bridges' helicopter went down, the chapter was again in Pulaski for two reasons this time.

"We came in memory of Staff Sergeant Jerry Bridges, who finally came back home to rest beside his mother, on this the anniversary of when he lost his life," said Mike Jacobs, president of Chapter 1, headquartered in Smyrna. "And to place the POW/MIA flag."

Jacobs said the group, which is one of three chapters in Tennessee, noticed the American flag now flying over the cemetery needs replacing, and they will also furnish a new one soon. They will take on the maintenance of both the flags, replacing them when needed.

There are close to 8,000 members nationwide of Rolling Thunder Inc., which is a non-profit organization founded by two Vietnam veterans. Jacobs said the organization emphasizes concern of POWs and MIAs left behind in all wars. Also, the chapters are concerned with veterans' health and care issues and veteran's hospitals.

Members of Rolling Thunder Inc., all veterans and a grateful nation will celebrate Veteran's Day, Monday, Nov. 11. Newly-appointed Veteran Services Officer Bob Wamble said he is planning the annual Veteran's Day program in Pulaski, which will be held at the courthouse.

Pulaski Publishing is offering an opportunity this year for individuals to print messages of thanks to veterans in the newspaper. Look for advertisements in today's (Tuesday) newspaper as well as subsequent editions, explaining how to get your message printed, or call 363-3544.

©Citizen Press 2002"