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FORMER SENATOR JIM WEBB: FEDEX CHAIRMAN FRED SMITH TO SPEAK AT THE OCTOBER 26 MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR 81 ARVN “LOST SOLDIERS”

I am also honored that former Marine and Chairman of FEDEX Fred Smith will join us as a featured speaker at the memorial service in Westminster, California on October 26.  As mentioned before, the memorial service and interment ceremony will provide a final resting place for 81 South Vietnamese Army soldiers who lost their lives while on a combat mission in December 1965.  Due to diplomatic difficulties, their remains have endured a tragic 54-year odyssey from Vietnam to Thailand and finally to the United States, where they now will be interred in the largest Vietnamese-American cemetery in our country.

For many years these Lost Soldiers have truly been “men without a country.”  We are grateful to now provide them with an eternal home here in America.

Fred Smith has been a strong ally in our effort as we sorted out the challenges.  He gave our country exemplary service in Vietnam as a Marine infantry officer during heavy combat in Quang Nam Province.  After his Marine Corps service, he founded FEDEX and through his leadership it became a highly successful, globally recognized business.  He has been a strong supporter of veterans causes for many years and was the earliest and most significant contributor to the Lost Soldiers Foundation as we began our effort to finally transfer the ARVN remains from 33-years in limbo in Hawaii.

We look forward to welcoming Mr. Smith to the ceremony and hearing his views.