HAMPTON: A CENTURY OF TOWN AND BEACH, 1888-1988
Chapter 17 -- Part 3

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Korean War

Postwar Hampton began to grow rapidly, and for awhile it seemed that the memories of foreign wars would begin to dim for veterans and their families. That was not to be, however, because war began again in Asia, and Hampton men were called upon to participate in a so-called police action in Korea. World War II veteran George I. Barwick was the first Hampton man ordered to duty. In July 1950, he was assigned to help process naval reservists in the Portsmouth area. Four months later, Corporal Robert S. Hedman was reported missing in action. The only Hampton Korean War fatality, his death was confirmed in January 1954. The Korean War Memorial was dedicated in May 1959. [The Korean War Memorial is located in front of the Hampton District Court House at 132 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton, NH.]

Vietnam War

Vietnam, the nation's longest and most controversial war, began in December 1961 and continued for 14 years. Unlike previous wars, when the country rallied behind political leaders and the fighting men, Vietnam was widely opposed, and some people directed their anger against the military forces. In previous wars, the fighting men remained in action until the war ended and then returned home to community accolades, parades, and honors for their sacrifices. Vietnam vets, however, were on duty for only a few years; they returned home from Southeast Asia unnoticed or ignored by most people. There were no parades and no honors for the veterans while the unpopular war dragged on. There were sacrifices, however. Army Captain John P. Falcone of Rye, a former resident of Hampton, was the first local fatality, succumbing to wounds in November 1967***. Lieutenant Bruce W. Brown died from war-related burns in 1968 and Steven J. Philbrick died in June 1969, just a year after graduating from Winnacunnet High School. Four other Hampton soldiers -- Mark L. Brown, Robert Shaw, Murray L. Smith, and James St. Cyr -- were lost before the war officially ended for the United States on May 7, 1975. The dedication of a Vietnam memorial was delayed for some years, partly because it was difficult for the memorial committee to ascertain a proper list of names. A plaque was dedicated in 1985 and placed on the reverse side of the Korean War Memorial. For Hampton's Vietnam veterans, that war was finally ended. [The Vietnam War Memorial is located in front of the Hampton District Court House at 132 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton, NH.] [Note: The New Hampshire Vietnam Memorial Honor Roll, listing 226 casualties, can be found on the web at: http://grunt.space.swri.edu/statewall/nhamp/nh.htm Back to previous section -- Forward to next section -- Return to Table of Contents