From the Wall. This item is unavailable.From the Wall

A compilation of stories and information about some of the 58,282 men and women whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Larry Stimeling was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. He entered the Army in 1969 at age 19. As he puts it, "It was my turn. My father served in your current World War II. My mom's brother served during the Korean War. Besides growing up on the south side of Peoria, I had only three choices after high school. I could go to jail, become a cop or go to Nam. I didn't want to be a cop. I didn't want to go to jail. So off I went to Vietnam." Larry served with the 595th Signal Company, U.S. Army Strategic Communications, and the Di An Signal Detachment. He was in Vietnam from March 1, 1972 February 28, 1971. After Vietnam Larry was sent to Germany to finish his enlistment obligation. Larry has been married three times and divorced twice. "I have been through two wives and a liquor store." Drinking and PTSD probably contributed to the first two marriages failing. But Larry believes it was simply that he had met the right woman. He married the right woman in 1985. Their blended family includes six children. Larry worked for 33 years after the Army for the federal government retiring at 05. Larry has traveled to exhibits of replicas of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in many locations around Illinois and adjoining states. Wherever he goes, he tries to learn something about the locals who were killed in Vietnam. This is how we learn most of the information in this book. Larry found the book to be therapeutic. It was a labor of love that was driven by a desire to preserve the memories of those who sacrificed so much at the request of our country. Now rated as a 100% service connected disabled veteran. He has the time to travel to more locations and tell his stories From the Wall.