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Men killed in Vietnam memorialized in Ray Simon painting
GIRARD
The Heroes of Vietnam celebration of the lives of five Girard men who died in that war was a time to appreciate — a time to honor — a time to remember.
“Joe was my best friend,” Bill Lileas, 67, of Girard said of Marine Spec. 4 Joseph A. Siciliano Jr., who was killed May 25, 1967.
Four others recognized at the Heroes celebration Saturday were: Army Pfc. James W. Charlesworth Jr., killed May 11, 1970; Army Staff Sgt. Ronald C. Ross, killed July 18, 1968; Army Pfc. Robert A. Jones, killed Aug. 21, 1969; and Army Spec. 4 Paul A. Sgambati, killed March 3, 1971.
The celebration took place at Chesty’s Blue Collar Tavern, 20 S. State St., a bar whose walls are lined with military memorabilia and military-themed paintings by Youngstown artist Ray Simon.
Chesty’s is even named after Marine Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, one of the most-decorated Marines.
“This is more than a bar, it’s a place of honor,” said Simon, whose painting, “Heroes of Vietnam,” was unveiled.
The painting, prints of which will be presented to family members of those honored or posted around Girard, depicts a hand touching the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, foot soldiers crossing a rice paddy and running toward a helicopter for evacuation after a patrol, a search-and-destroy boat plowing down a river, and dominant in the foreground, a soldier carrying two frightened Vietnamese children to safety.
“We’re here to honor their sacrifice and the blood they shed for their country,” said Richard Watts of Girard, who organized the event along with Landon and Heather McCauley, owners of Chesty’s.
Landon’s father served in Vietnam, and Heather’s father, stepfather, grandfathers and a cousin all served in the military.
Watts, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Army’s 1st Air Cavalry in 1968 and 1969, became emotional while reading the five names. He donated his Purple Heart in their honor.
“Joe and I knew each other since grade school. We enlisted together and went to boot camp together,” said Lileas, a member of Hotel Co., 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division attached to the 3rd Marine Division.
“Joe was wounded in January 1967 and came back to Vietnam in March or April and was killed May 25. I think about and miss him every day,” said Lileas, who was himself wounded in Vietnam.
“I miss all these guys. We were not well-liked when we came home. I appreciate so much what all of them did,” Lileas said.
Shirley Templin Thompson of Girard, who had never been in Chesty’s, wanted to be part of the celebration and also see the memorabilia of her father, Richard E. Templin, who served in the Army in World War II, and her uniforms of her brother, Richard C. Templin, which she had donated to Chesty’s.
“I went to school with these guys. None of them wanted to go to Vietnam, but they wanted to serve their country,” she said.
Simon said his painting attempts to capture the spirit of the sacrifice of the soldiers in Vietnam.
“Not only did they fight and die for their country, they taught the American people a lesson: Never again will soldiers come home and be disrespected,” he said.