Legion memorial service honors John “Tim” Lane and Marvin Galbraith

BREWSTER – It happened 55 years ago. Two young men, both Brewster High School graduates, put their lives on hold to serve their nation in the Vietnam conflict, one as a Marine, the other in the Army infantry. Army Private First Class John Timothy “Tim” Lane and Marine Lance Corporal Marvin Earl Galbraith, forever 20 and 21 respectively, died within six weeks of each other, Galbraith on March 27, 1968, and Lane on May 4, 1968.

Galbraith was killed by a landmine while on patrol in Quang Nam Province with K Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines in the “I Corp” region of South Vietnam. He is buried in Bridgeport Cemetery with five generations of his family.

PFC Lane was deployed in the Mekong Delta with B Company of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry “Manchus” of the 25th Infantry Division.  He was killed in a night battle near Duc Hoa when he threw himself on an enemy hand grenade to save his fellow soldiers. Lane was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), the nation’s second highest award for valor and is buried at Locust Grove Cemetery.

On Saturday, May 27, a special memorial service honoring both men was hosted by the Brewster American Legion Post 97 at Locust Grove Cemetery. Guests included members and friends of the Lane and Galbraith families and retired veterans and active military.

Lt. Col. (ret.) Robert Bloch from the Manson American Legion delivered the invocation.

Lt. Col. (ret.) Hank Cramer was among the guest speakers. Cramer, representing Congressman Dan Newhouse, is a Gold Star Fellow and 28-year Army veteran who lost his father in the Vietnam conflict when he was only four years old. Cramer’s father was the first U.S. Army casualty in Vietnam in 1957. Cramer is one of 25 Gold Star members across the nation appointed by Congress to work full-time on behalf of veterans and Gold Star families.

“Here’s what I know,” said Cramer. “Grief fades. Love never dies. Courage shines on forever. That’s what I came to share with you today.”

Lane’s cousin Army Warrant Officer (ret.) Boyd Stewart Chaffee, from Ft. Worth, Texas, spoke about his cousin even though Lane died before Chaffee was born.

“The word that comes to mind is ‘hero’ when I think of Tim,” said Chaffee. “That word is very overused today to describe celebrities, or sports figures or comic book characters. Those aren’t heroes. Tim willingly gave his life to save his buddies. That is the ultimate act of courage, of bravery, selflessness, love, heroism. Tim was a real hero.”  

An emotional Jim Martin, retired Army sergeant who served with Lane, compared his actions to those of nameless sailors aboard the battleship Arizona at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, who gave their lives when they closed the bulkheads to try to contain the flooding of the bombed ship. Martin also spoke of his visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., that included the names of soldiers from Bridgeport and Brewster among the 58,267 inscribed there. In addition to Lane and Galbraith are Army Private Earl Henderson, 20, (4-16-1970), and Corporal Robert Allen Hayden, 20, (5-24-1968), both of Bridgeport.

“You are not forgotten,” said Martin. “I think it is important that we say their names; so as long as we say their names they are still here.”

The Army unit Lane served with is now assigned to Ft. Carson, Colorado. First Sergeant Wesley Averkamp, representing that unit, addressed the memorial and read Lane’s DSC citation. Following his address Averkamp presented a Gold Star pin to Galbraith’s sisters, Carol Byrd and Verda Olsen, and to Lane’s sisters, Theresa Johnson and Jo Crossland.

Cramer explained that the Gold Star pin tradition. The Gold Star represents courage and sacrifice and the purple background its mounted on represents the Purple Heart.

“The mothers of those who served in World War I used to hang flags in their windows, a red and white banner with a blue star to show they had a son in service, two or three stars if they had more than one,” said Cramer. “When those young soldiers were lost, they repainted those stars gold, and called themselves the Gold Star Mothers of America.”

In 1947 Congress passed the Gold Star Act that created the decoration for the immediate families of those killed in action.

“The motto we like to use is ‘America’s Promise to Never Forget’,” said Cramer. “It’s been 55 years since the spring of 1968. You have not forgotten; we have not forgotten; we will not forget.”

The American Legion Post 97 Auxiliary presented wreaths for the occasion and the honor guard posted the colors.

Cramer recited a poem written by Chief Warrant Officer Mike McDonald in 1970, who was himself killed in action three months later when the helicopter he was flying was shot down.

LTC (ret.) Bloch delivered the benediction.

Brewster High School freshman Salvador Cardenas played military Taps on his trumpet.

Bagpiper Paul McNeil, a former Army and Air Force medic, drove from Olympia to perform Amazing Grace.

Spearheaded by Martin’s initiative, a long and difficult campaign is underway to request that Congress upgrade Lane’s DSC to the Congressional Medal of Honor. Cramer said he has a letter signed from Brewster Mayor Art Smyth and the city council asking Rep. Newhouse to approach the Secretary of the Army to request that upgrade.