Received an email recently from a couple in Georgia

[Dan Arnes]

I received this email June 7, 2017 from a Brian Luders in Georgia

Trying to replace the flag on his grave, per below:
Any help would be greatly appreciated

June 7, 2017
Mount Moriah Baptist Church
My wife and I stopped by your cemetery on Memorial Day to pay our respects to any soldiers that died in service. We found the grave of Charles Lee Davis and it would appear he died at the end of the Vietnam war. We noticed that the flag at his grave was gone and wanted to see about replacing it.
I have received a flag from Representative Doug Collins' office and some good people at Home Depot are willing to come and replace the rope and hardware on the flagpole.
We want to get your permission to do so and at a time that is appropriate, get it replaced. We've been trying to reach someone at the church without success.
I just learned that Flag Day is next Wednesday, June 14 and that would seem an appropriate day to get this done. Please let me know so we can move forward with this.
Thank you very much and God bless you.
p.s. We found the ritual of leaving coins at the grave very moving. I found those three dimes that you see in the picture at the base of the stone and we looked up the meaning on the Internet. Apparently someone has visited three times who served with this soldier. We left a penny, just to show that we had stopped by to pay our respects, even though we did not know him.
 
Brian F. Lüders, CFO
LPBC & Associates, Inc.
344 West Pike Street
Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046
770.963.8989
[e-mail]

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My Reply:
Brian,

I'm not sure what you need from me?  I have no authority to approve anything you mention below. If I did I would say Hell Yes, just do it!

Not sure how you got my name and email address, possibly from the bio and photo of him I posted to his Find A Grave Memorial?
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=136690487

And you are correct, Charles did die less than three years after returning from his one year tour as Helicopter Door Gunner with NAVY Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three, HA(L)-3 in Vietnam. He was unable to find meaningful employment and subsequently returned to the Navy to die shortly after, in a car accident while on Active Duty. If you are interested in the history of our squadron, go to: [gave website link]

It sounds to me as though you are wanting to replace the flag, rope and hardware on the flagpole, and can't get in touch with anyone at the church or cemetery. It's not like you're trying to take something or add something that wasn't there before, so if it were me, I would just do it!

If someone complains later, I would write a letter to the editor of the local paper about their complaints and the fact no one could be contacted beforehand, and maybe even the local TV News station.
See how fast they drop their complaint when the local area knows how they really feel about honoring the veterans in their cemetery!

Whatever you do, I applaud you and your wife, and thank you for honoring veterans!  If there is anything else I might be able to do, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Dan Arnes
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He also sent these photos of Charles’ grave:
 

I contacted him after receiving his email with the attachment and he has since gotten approval from the church mentioned in the letter, so is moving forward with the project.

I also called Charles’ Daughter Emily to let her know what these people were going to do and forwarded Brian’s email and photos to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To: Dan Arnes

Thank you so much for forwarding this to me. I talked to my mom about it and she said that apparently some time ago, there was a mentally handicapped young man at that church who cut the flag down and she couldn't afford to replace it, so she is delighted that someone has taking this on, as she has wanted it to be replaced ever since. Please share our heartfelt appreciation. I wish that I could be there to appropriately care for his grave, but unfortunately, I live in central Florida, where I am a single mom/ public school teacher and can't afford to make the trip.

Thanks again for all you do and have done for our country and our vets!

Emily Parker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, 6/13/17, I received this:
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PNPknDitZSs
 

Thanks to:
Congressman Douglas Collins
  Bill Kokaly
Flowery Branch Home Depot
  Chris Armstrong
  Glenn Taber
  Larry (Marine / Santa Claus)
  Grant Caruthers

Dan

[Shayne Busby]

For the members of Det 5 I say thank you to all involved in repairing Davis' flag pole. At our last reunion the members of the Det discussed handling this. Since I was as close to local as could be, I was tasked with this project. Regrettably due to some health issues and life in general I was unable to move as quickly as hoped for.  
I do have a squadron flag that I will get added to the flag pole as soon as possible.

My intent is to go to the church on a Sunday and present the squadron flag to the pastor, and hopefully someone in the church will be willing to care for the flags.

It is heart warming to realize there are people willing to show respect for veterans that they do not know. Again, thank you.

[Shayne Busby]

In exchanging emails with Mr. Luder, he has informed me that they are also adding a flood light.

[Dan Arnes]

Thanks Shayne,

More conversations on this topic:

Received this today forwarded from Brian Luders along with another headstone photo:
Subject: Charles Lee Davis
From: Brian Luders
To: Emily;
Cc: [e-mail];
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 3:57 AM

Emily,
 
This took a group effort from Congressman Doug Collins [supplied US Flag] and the good people at Home Depot.
 
Having lost my WWII vet dad at only 13, there is a special place in my heart for young widows and children who lost their dads way too soon.
 
On this Flag Day, and also this Father's Day, please realize how much we cherish the veterans and dads who fought so we can be free.
 
My father's grave is nearly 1000 miles away, at the little church across the street from the house I grew up in.
 
I can't be there to care for it, but I can watch over your dad's.
 
I do hope this small gesture brings you some measure of comfort.
 
God blessed US through those brave soldiers like your dad.
 
Brian
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From: Emily
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2017 9:11 PM
To: Brian Luders
Subject: Re: Fwd: Charles Lee Davis

Dear Mr. Luders:

I just wanted to let you know that I found your original message today in my spam folder!  I hadn't received it, so I am hopeful that the message I sent to Dan Arnes was forwarded to you.  I am guessing it probably was, since you went ahead with installing the flag, but even if it wasn't... I'm really grateful.  Charles Davis was my father, and he was killed when I was a very little girl.  As a rear gunner for Hal-3 Sea Wolves, having flown in over 300 dangerous missions, helping to retrieve trapped and embedded soldiers, and being wounded 3 separate times, the way my father died is pretty ironic.  After 3 tours in Vietnam, he couldn't find a job that could adequately support his growing family with a wife and 2 little girls, so he had reenlisted in the Navy, stationed at Jacksonville NAS, and was called in during the wee hours of the night, after having worked all day, to help tie down some aircraft due to an approaching hurricane.  On his way home, he fell asleep at the wheel and his car ran off an embankment.  Although the site of his accident was extremely close to a civilian hospital, the officers working the scene insisted on sending him back to the base hospital because he was in uniform, and he died upon arrival.

He got a pretty raw deal in life, and died very young.  Your efforts to honor him mean more than you can begin to understand.  Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Emily
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another photo of headstone, now showing more coins:


I'm always amazed at how many people the Seawolves are connected to, or become connected to!

Dan

[Dan Arnes]

Just received an email from the couple who fixed up Charles Lee Davis' flagpole, etc last June.

They revisited his grave site and were surprised to see someone has added a Seawolf Flag and his Ribbons, CACWings, and a HA(L)-3 hat pin.







Dan