HOULTON, Maine — On Sept. 17, an 18-hour (10 episodes) documentation film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, “The Vietnam War,” began airing on PBS depicting the story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history. The film was over ten years in the making and showed graphic and emotionally taxing moments throughout.
Nov. 20 will mark the 50th anniversary of the passing of one of Houlton’s hometown soldiers, Weston Langley. Weston attended Houlton Public High School, graduating with the Class of 1966.
At the age of 18, Weston’s tour began in the Army on May 1, 1967, in Vietnam. I personally knew Weston as he was a neighbor to our family when they lived above the High Street Grocery store. He was remembered as quiet and shy, but always very kind.
I remember the great playhouse that his parents (Kay and Fred) had for the children in a section of the parking lot of the High Street Grocery. My cousins and I had great times playing there with Weston.
Weston had a new red snow shovel that I really liked and took it home with me. I believe my guilt in doing so was so overwhelming that I had to return it right away before they likely even noticed it missing. Confessions of a younger me, but knowing how kind Weston was, he most likely would have said, “It’s OK, you can have it.”
Hill 875 — so named by being 875 meters high — was revered to the Vietnamese as a beautiful and peaceful place before the battle. Weston decided to extend his tour to wait to come home for Christmas rather than Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, Weston’s life ended on Hill 875 on Nov. 20, 1967, in one of the bloodiest battles in Vietnam.
Numerous medals including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals were awarded to his family for Weston’s meritorious achievement, which was displayed on the wall of his family’s home. Weston is buried at Soldier’s Hill in Houlton.
When one thinks about all the events throughout history in the past 50 years, I cannot help but think of the things that Weston never got to experience or know about. The assassination in 1968 of Martin Luther King; Woodstock in 1969 and Neil Armstrong being the first man to walk on the moon; Watergate, 1972; the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989; the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990; the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001; the invention of cellphones, DVD’s, computers, electric cars; Facebook, etc. There have been 10 presidents in the past 50 years. Some events that took place were good and others we would like to forget.
By the end of 1967, there were 20,057 Americans who had died in the Vietnam war. Houlton also lost other young men in the Vietnam war — Harry McGuire (HPHS Class 1966) on May 22, 1967, as well as Steven Porter (HPHS Class of 1968) on July 9, 1969.
The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, but this is one war that Americans still have a hard time talking about. Although 58,220 Americans (341 from Maine) lost their lives and are gone, they are indeed not forgotten.
After watching the documentation film and learning that Hill 875 was bombed by American planes and that 42 Americans were killed in that bombing, it tears at one’s heart to know that this was another aspect of this war that indeed felt senseless. Friendly fire was something that occurred throughout the war, killing Vietnamese, but also Americans.
War is indeed hell. Although the sadness remains in our hearts and minds — we salute the U.S. troops and pay tribute to the awesome sacrifices these brave men and women have made and are still making for our freedom. These are heroes whose courage and hearts should never be questioned.
Editor’s Note: this article was submitted by Barbara (Cray) Desso formerly of Houlton, and a graduate of Houlton’s Class of 1965. She is a freelance writer and resides in Tennessee.
