Moore made a point of this, and how unacceptable it was for the US Army to be using cabs to deliver these telegrams. E-mail address is not available. movie, "We Were Soldiers," starring Mel Gibson. do when he got back.". Many bodies look pretty messed up. We had no foxholes. "There aren't any words to Every time I look through these names I get another big lump in my throat. When the flames died down we all ran out into the "Jim was always popular with his classmates at Rigby . POSTED ON 11.12.2017. Col. Moore leaves his house to head off to Vietnam in the middle of the night carrying only his duffel bag for the walk to the staging area. Matthew Edgley I always hoped that he When I saw "We Were Soldiers" with my wife and son I broke down in tears and said "That was my cousin!". The mistake is that the hammer on his pistol is down, on a M1911A1 this indicates an empty chamber. William A. Findlay III, MD locate anyone someone who was with him. It also had a flash hider which was caged in. Had it been born yet? Im glad to know his last thoughts middle of the night at her parents' home in St. Anthony, Idaho, in Send all air assets to its relief. Within a half hour, Hastings had fighter-bombers stacked up over LZ Xray at 1,000-foot intervals from 7,000 to 35,000 feet, waiting to be assigned targets. Aug 26, 2014 0 Current National Guard members are shown with members of the Nakayama family during the ceremony honoring the fallen soldier. transition, his rank was private first class, but he was intended Seeing Jimmy get such horrible burns literally brought me to my knees. 1153 West 112th Ave Unit A, Northglenn, Colorado 80234 Alma Givens: Jim Grimshaw . We never met, but I am so very proud to be a relative of such a brave soldier. As he was on the edge of the blast, this took him out of the burned area. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. "Thirty-seven years ago I was never able to get information or But Im glad I went, she said. If you value your freedom, think about these brave men who have died for their country and for you. locate anyone someone who was with him. That was SPC Jimmy Nakayama from Rigby, ID. A 21-year-old buck sergeant, Earnie Savage of Birmingham, was suddenly in command of the Herrick platoon. Jimmy D. Nakayama was born in Rigby, Idaho in 1943 to a family of Japanese descent, and he later joined the US Army, serving in Charlie Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, US 1st Cavalry Division during the Vietnam War. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Where are all the charred bodies? Southern California, "even though I didn't feel like it and didn't Fellow trooper. army. God bless his woman and his child! Actually, Nikki, their daughter, had been born Nov. 7, but her Buy the book and look at Joe Galloway's pictures. Sergeant Ernie Savage: Beautiful morning, Sergeant. "A" 229th AHB, 1st Cav Jimmy. The 442nd actually was the second Nesei unit; the 100th Infantry Battalion, formed in May 1942, was the first. Nikki, then 37, had two young sons of her own. Bureau of Land Management in 1977. The teacher asked the class what was wrong with Jimmy. He was born in 1943, the second of five sons and a daughter born to Frank and Satoko Nakayama. Directed by Randall Wallace . Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? International reporter Joe Galloway as Galloway helped load him The M16's used in this battle were second generation M16A1's easily distinguished by the forward bolt assist on the right hand side of the rifle. based on information from your browser. Im glad to know he was a hero, and Im glad years, and was more than willing to share with her his experiences To this day I regret my decision to finish college. They aren't EA-6B Prowlers being catapulted of the carrier - they're A-6 Intruders. In a 2015 interview with CNN, the former president . Nakayamas part is told in a few minutes near the climax, and If you read Moore's book, you will realize that the telegrams *were* arriving during the conflict in the Ia Drang. The 442nd's motto was "Go for Broke" - as noted above. the movie, I was a wreck. This is a carousel with slides. This was no walk in the sun. The students rallied to Jimmy's defense, offering increased friendship and support, trying to make him feel as "American" as any of us. E-mail address is not available. LEFT FOR JIMMY D NAKAYAMA POSTED ON 11.19.2017. others who may know something of her husband. This account has been disabled. It was a commanders worst nightmare. POSTED BY: Dennis Wriston. I have seen the movie and was very moved by the bravery of the men fighting. support for the soldiers roar overhead. Moore is a commanding officer about to deploy on operations so he could have ordered the armory opened at any time to be issued his weapon. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands as a symbol of America's honor and recognition of the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War. Click Here, "We Were Soldiers Once& Young" - buy the book from Barnes know about his last words. Galloway said he was more than willing to share with her his Jimmy Nakayama died on Nov 17, 1965. Marshals arrest Lockwood shooting suspect outside Billings Godfathers Pizza, New dog in town: Team behind the Marble Table open to-go restaurant, Daines slams Biden, Senate Democrats for plan to ban gas stoves. A public support rally is pl. Nakayama's part is told in a few minutes of screen time near the Try again later. The movie is based on the book, Once We were I was plunged into the past as if all He died two days later at an Army hospital. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. for officer training. They were evacuated, but Nakayama died two days later, on Nov. 17. Thanks for your help! When the 442nd RCT arrived in Italy in June 1944 the 100th Infantry Battalion became one of the 442nd's three maneuver battalions. He said it was more likely going to be a hot walk in the sun with no contact. I thought you might like to see a memorial for PFC Jimmy D. Nakayama I found on Findagrave.com. Olson said. Private First Class On Nov 15 1965, during the battle for the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam, Jimmy Nakayama and another man were accidentally hit with napalm during a misplaced air strike. His wife gave birth to his first Aug 11, 2021 1:37 :07 pm IceCreamButt Truly Addicted User That was SPC Jimmy Nakayama from Rigby, ID. Nakayama was mortally wounded in the Ia Drang Valley while serving with the 8th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division when an F100 Super Saber . Burlile, who had turned 23 four days earlier, died in the arms of his company commander. Inserting a fresh magazine to replace a partially empty magazine during a lull is good practice. The rifles used in this movie, the Armalite AR15 / Colt M16. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. months of their marriage, Jim was in Vietnam. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Once he was gone, there was part of me Olson said she tried to get more information from the Every bar," says Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito. Nakayama tells him that his baby is being born that day. Thomas Keeton and, drawing his .45-caliber pistol, jacked a round into the chamber and yelled: Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves!. He keyed the intercom and told me he would drop me at Landing Zone Falcon, where a battery of field artillery was shooting in support of Moore. Keith Bodine International. their daughter, had been born Nov. 7, but her father didnt know To have this information As the sound of the chopper blades faded, we heard a deep voice: Follow me and I will take you to the colonel. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. In order to serve in the Vietnam War, Nakayama took a reduction in rank to private which was required of him to join the Regular Army. well as a helicopter pilot identified in the movie as Too Tall. Valley the day her husband died until a few weeks ago, when friends Olson's husband - Jim Nakayama was his name - onto a helicopter. I almost cried too when I saw what had happened to such a joyful man, the blood and scars for his family and his country. One of our very best. She is A public affairs specialist for the combatants next November. government, or some way to contact someone who was at the battle. His parents were surveyors of injustice and his uncle, by the same name as Jimmy, sobbed, "Why Jimmy, it should have been me?" Cecile Moore: Bellamy Young . Ie Crushed ankle. We are two students who have seen "We Were Soldiers" in our Vietnam class and would like to post a remembrance. and The Virtual Wall's Someone shouted for me to grab Nakayamas legs and help haul him to the aid station. Jim was an American hero and thanks in part to this feature film shall never be forgotten. See also Takashi in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. That side of the clearing literally exploded. Weve updated the security on the site. Learn more about managing a memorial . been a high school football star, a brilliant student and a boy Fifty years have passed since Jim Nakayama wrote those words to his 18-year-old bride. at the funeral. It made me so sad seeing a young man who had just had a child be cut down like that. For Jimmy Nakayama, life began in Rexburg. burning grass. well as a helicopter pilot who Galloway said remembers her husband mistake," she said. He had been Basil L. Plumley, a legendary paratrooper who had made all four combat jumps with the 82nd Airborne in World War II Sicily, Salerno, Normandy and Holland and one combat jump in Korea with the 187th Regimental Combat Team. Associated Press reporter Joe Galloway, who had met Jimmy two days earlier, was there when the Napalm hit Jimmy and has wrote about it in the book, "We Were Soldiers Once - and Young". I just saw "We Were Soldiers" and it touched me sooo deeply to see Jimmy Nakayama get burnt like that. E-mail address is not available. There is no definitive information on this topic, and although factually accurate, a technical problem with a weapon was probably not enough to build an entire sub-plot, and would not hold the interest of the moviegoer. I'm proud of our Vietnam Veterans. So she went to the West End theater where the movie was playing, Isn't it odd that the telegrams were arriving even as the battle raged? The Jimmy that most of you know from the movie "We Were Soldiers" was my uncle and I was named after him. Somebody yelled at me to grab the feet of one of the (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Most of the information delivered to her by telegram in the You never check a pulse with your thumb because it is big enough that you will feel your own pulse. In that situation, with all the dust and smoke (not to mention the smell of rotting bodies) wearing the bandana as a face shield would not be incorrect (and even if it were a uniform violation, what were they gonna do, send 'em to Viet Nam?). At first, I thought it was muzzle flashes and the enemy was shooting at us. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. He was so badly burned that Galloway wrote Jimmy's ankle skin came off to the bone in his hands as he lifted him for the medevac. The reason you can tell the rifles used were originally M16A1s is because the lower reciever on M16A1s have "fencing" around the magazine release button. From Torrey and Paul. I had one advantage over Arnett: I had marched with Moores battalion four days earlier on a real hot walk in the sun in the mountains east of Plei Me Special Forces Camp, and spent the night with them as well. God bless Jimmy and his family. I never met him as I'm much too young but I've been told he was a great man, friend, and athlete. You have permission to edit this article. (music by) Cinematography by Dean Semler . Plenty of trees are blackened with leaves burnt off too. want to," Olson said. This would allow for the hammer to be down in a safe position, though the weapon may have already been used. Scenes depicting their He was just two days shy of his 22 birthday. In the church where the wives are having mass as their husbands are flying into combat, Second Lt. John L. Geoghegan's wife, played by. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. So I found myself where I didnt want to be five miles from the battleground, where the unceasing boom of the 105mm howitzers rattled all our heads. English "Part of me hoped and tried to believe that they had made a Maj. Lately she's started to feel that the hole in her life is at The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. last being filled. The camera angle makes it appear as if he is using his thumb. friends from Olsons native Idaho began calling about the movie a the states. Jimmy Nakayama grew up in the towns of Rexburg and Rigby, Idaho and was the son of a 442nd RCT veteran. Similar aircraft, but definitely not the same. He died three days later, Nov. 17, 1965, en route to a hospital Brian Tee was born Jae-Beom Takata on March 15, 1977, in Okinawa, Japan (via Apple TV ). But I had such a compelling need to I missed Ia Drang by about four months. I just wanted to say to his family and friends that that I am sorry this had to happen to him. "When he died I felt like everything I knew and believed about Olson knew very little about what happened in the Ia Drang The troops did not carry their weapons on the ship, they were loaded in the weapons rack, they did not see the weapons till the night they were going to leave the ship, that's when they were issued their ammo. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. His death was a loss to the men around him and to his family. sense of closure Ive never had before.. Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback. charred soldiers (Nakayama). Search above to list available cemeteries. 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