The Enterprise, Brockton, MA
  • A granddaughter's story of two soldiers who served in Vietnam

  • Eleven-year-old Julia Whealan writes about her grandfather, Vietnam veteran Edward A. Cummings of Randolph, and her great-uncle, Philip T. Delorenzo, who was killed in the war.

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  • This is the story of my Grandpa and my great-uncle getting drafted into the Vietnam War. Their names are Edward A. Cummings, and Philip T. DeLorenzo.
    My grandpa was drafted in 1966. The draft was a way to form an army to fight a war. Every young man in the country when he turned 18, signed up for the draft, and was given a number. If your number was called, you had to report to the military for two years.
    After being drafted, for six months they were sent to basic training. My grandfather was sent to radio operating school. After the training they were both sent to Germany. While my grandfather was in Germany he lived in a small German town and worked in an Army radio station.
    During that time my grandmother, Eileen Hallamore, came to live with him in Germany. After six months, the Army sent my grandmother home, after she became pregnant with my uncle, Edward A. Cummings, Jr., then sent my grandfather to Vietnam.
    My grandfather arrived in Vietnam two days before the Tet Offensive, this was the longest battle in Vietnam, and it lasted for months. During the time my grandfather was in Vietnam, people were being shot and killed.
    My grandfather had to stay in Vietnam until 1968. As he was about to come home, he found out his brother in-law, Philip T. Delorenzo, had been killed. The Army asked my grandfather to escort my great uncle Philip home. I am sad that I never got to meet him
    When my grandfather came home, he finally got to meet his first son, Eddie Jr., who was 5 months old. Imagine how hard it was for all those soldiers to come home after so long, and they hadn’t seen their kids, or wives.
    My grandfather and my grandmother were also very sad that her brother had died, and they had to bury him.
    I’m very lucky to still have my Grandpa here, so that we can play golf together. He teaches me how to hit the ball, he bought me golf clubs, and we play on Wednesdays with my brother, Jacob.
    The Vietnam Memorial was built to honor all those who died in the Vietnam War. Construction began on March 16, 1982, and the wall completed on October.
    There are 58,272 names listed on the memorial. My Uncle Philip’s information is on panel 47W, Row 26.
    Julia Whealan, 11, lives in North Carolina. Edward Cummings lives in Randolph.

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