Sentinel Morning Update: Army Heritage to premiere Vietnam War exhibit
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Bill Beck thought for sure he was the only American left to die in the Ia Drang valley.
The Bronx native could hear the crackle of bullets tear through the tall grass and rip away chunks of bark from a small tree, his only other source of cover.
Russell Adams, his friend since Army boot camp, had just suffered a serious head wound and was taken away by a medic for treatment.
This left Beck alone to man a machine gun position set up to block well-trained and well-armed North Vietnamese soldiers from overwhelming the left flank of the American position.
Now the Army Heritage and Education Center will pay tribute to soldiers like Beck and the experiences they lived through in Vietnam.
Work has begun in Middlesex Township on a three-part exhibit to commemorate the Vietnam War with a mock-up of a fire support base (FSB), a landing zone and a creek bed.
Due to be completed in November, the exhibit tells the story of Ia Drang as immortalized already in the book, “We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young,” and the movie, “We Were Soldiers.”
Along with the rest of this story from Sentinel reporter Joseph Cress, here's what else to look for in today’s print and on-line editions:
Catching up with Carlisle couple’s fight against ARVD
Seven years ago, Skip and Cristal Over of Carlisle lost their son, Nicholas, to sudden cardiac arrest due to a rare heart disorder called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia.
Nick was 20 years old when Cristal found him unresponsive in his room and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
An autopsy showed that Nick had heart and lung abnormalities and it was determined that he suffered from ARVD — a genetic progressive heart condition where the muscle of the right ventricle fails and is replaced by fat that causes abnormal heart rhythms.
ARVD is estimated to affect one in 5,000 people. Although it is an uncommon cause of sudden cardiac death, it accounts for up to one-fifth of sudden cardiac deaths in people under 35 years of age and is the leading cause of death in young athletes.
Writer releases Indian school book
At first glance the pictures appear to be nothing more than the careful but unexceptional renderings of horse-obsessed young boys.
But once Linda Witmer begins to talk, they almost come alive.
“This is an Arapaho drawing,” Witmer says, turning to a page that shows a warrior wearing a headdress leading a horse. They are walking right to left — a hallmark of Indian art, she says, no matter which tribe. Common, too, are the hoof prints put end-to-end among the green blades of grass.
To her, that makes the story clear: Having almost completed his journey, the warrior is now preparing for battle and, wise in the way of horses, is walking his so it will have energy for the rigors of war.
Downtown Carlisle readies for May’s ‘First Friday’
A pinata contest, mariachi band and free chips and salsa will be just a few of the attractions at Downtown Carlisle’s fiesta-themed First Friday event on May 2.
Focusing on the first two blocks of South Hanover Street, the “downtown open house” event will run from 5 to 8 p.m., rain or shine. A complete listing of activities is available at www.downtowncarlisle.org, or readers may call the Downtown Carlisle Association at 245-2648 for more information.
The pinata contest will be held in the Stuart Building at 3 South Hanover Street, allowing attendees to vote for their favorite treat-filled works of art made by local businesses and organizations, as well as registering for a chance to win them.
Morning Update
The Sentinel Morning Update runs every weekday by 8 a.m. to take a look at what we have planned for our newspaper and Web site. Feel free to offer any suggestions, questions or feedback to jpratt@cumberlink.com
