I remember Jerry Waller as his brother Jimmy was one of my best friends and Joe was a friend also. Jerry was a very good football player as I have pictures my dad took of us at practice one day. It was a sad day when I learned of his passing in Viet Nam. I can still remember the night they retired his jersey number and I know he would of been proud. I think of him often. I know he came from a very good family.
Decades ago the mobile Viet Nam wall made its way to Central City Park in downtown Atlanta and I decided to walk over to see the the memorial. There was only one name on it that I knew, that of Jerry Waller, class of 1967. It was early afternoon when I made the walk and there were not many people around. I talked with a nice veteran and he asked me if I knew anyone on the wall. I told him there was only one name on the wall but that the older boy across the street, Tommy Twaites (https://www.collegeparkrams.org/class_profile.cfm?member_id=4501201), died when a crane lifting equipment being sent overseas to Southeast Asia fell and crushed him. The gentleman was alone and seemed like he wanted company so we talked for some time until someone came up maybe a half hour later. He told me exactly where to go and took my hand, firmly gripping it as he told me how much he appreciated my spending the time talking with him.
I walked over and found Jerry's name and began thinking about him being the Battalion Commander of the Tri-Cities ROTC program. Only one person from the three Tri-Cities schools of College Park, East Point (Russell), and Hapeville, was chosen to be the Battalion Commander, which was an honor. Jerry wanted to be in the military and hoped to be like his hero, General George Patton. This was known because he told me so after I hit him upside the back of the head with the M-1 he had placed on my back after ordering me to do push ups, which really pissed me off because the grease would ruin the shirt and Mother would be upset. When he turned his back on me I grabbed the rifle and used it like a Baseball bat and lowered the boom. Everyone was upset, saying, "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM!!!"
They again gave me the boot from school, but what I recall was Jerry later talking to me and apologizing for not only putting the M-1 on my back but for laughing about it, which was what really pissed me off. That was in the tenth grade and everyone thought I was a sad sack because I did not wear a uniform, and frankly, I was so small that the rifle, like the uniform, was too much for me... I always thought Jerry was a big man for apologizing because he did not hafta do it... Therefore, I had some kinda connection with him that others did not have, and it hit me real hard when learning of his death. Now you know why it was so important for me to make the effort to see his name.
As I was standing before his name, brain flooded with memories, a group of youngsters came runnin' and whoopin' but the leader, a tubby fellow, stopped in his tracks, and so did the group following him. Tubby had the strangest look on his face when asking, "Do you know someone on the wall?" I looked at the kid a few moments as they all stood silently agog before nodding. "Which one?" he asked. I pointed to the name, which was low on the panel if memory serves, near the bottom or maybe the last name on that panel. To my utter surprise the Tubster turned around and said, "He knows someone on the wall," and pointed toward the name. At that moment all the boys came to attention and saluted Jerry Waller. Then they took off again, but silently. Then I heard from behind, "Well I'll be damned. I have never seen anything like that..." It was the teacher in charge of the boys... "Me neither," was all I said.
Michael...your memories of Jerry so touch our hearts. I did get to visit D.C. and see his name on the Vietnam Vetetan Memorial Wall. He was a member of our class at CPHS, '66. Deepest sympathy as always to his brother Joe, who also served and the entire family.
Gary Ramon St. Clair Sr. (1967)
I remember Jerry Waller as his brother Jimmy was one of my best friends and Joe was a friend also. Jerry was a very good football player as I have pictures my dad took of us at practice one day. It was a sad day when I learned of his passing in Viet Nam. I can still remember the night they retired his jersey number and I know he would of been proud. I think of him often. I know he came from a very good family.
Michael Bacon (1968)
Decades ago the mobile Viet Nam wall made its way to Central City Park in downtown Atlanta and I decided to walk over to see the the memorial. There was only one name on it that I knew, that of Jerry Waller, class of 1967. It was early afternoon when I made the walk and there were not many people around. I talked with a nice veteran and he asked me if I knew anyone on the wall. I told him there was only one name on the wall but that the older boy across the street, Tommy Twaites (https://www.collegeparkrams.org/class_profile.cfm?member_id=4501201), died when a crane lifting equipment being sent overseas to Southeast Asia fell and crushed him. The gentleman was alone and seemed like he wanted company so we talked for some time until someone came up maybe a half hour later. He told me exactly where to go and took my hand, firmly gripping it as he told me how much he appreciated my spending the time talking with him.
I walked over and found Jerry's name and began thinking about him being the Battalion Commander of the Tri-Cities ROTC program. Only one person from the three Tri-Cities schools of College Park, East Point (Russell), and Hapeville, was chosen to be the Battalion Commander, which was an honor. Jerry wanted to be in the military and hoped to be like his hero, General George Patton. This was known because he told me so after I hit him upside the back of the head with the M-1 he had placed on my back after ordering me to do push ups, which really pissed me off because the grease would ruin the shirt and Mother would be upset. When he turned his back on me I grabbed the rifle and used it like a Baseball bat and lowered the boom. Everyone was upset, saying, "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM!!!"
They again gave me the boot from school, but what I recall was Jerry later talking to me and apologizing for not only putting the M-1 on my back but for laughing about it, which was what really pissed me off. That was in the tenth grade and everyone thought I was a sad sack because I did not wear a uniform, and frankly, I was so small that the rifle, like the uniform, was too much for me... I always thought Jerry was a big man for apologizing because he did not hafta do it... Therefore, I had some kinda connection with him that others did not have, and it hit me real hard when learning of his death. Now you know why it was so important for me to make the effort to see his name.
As I was standing before his name, brain flooded with memories, a group of youngsters came runnin' and whoopin' but the leader, a tubby fellow, stopped in his tracks, and so did the group following him. Tubby had the strangest look on his face when asking, "Do you know someone on the wall?" I looked at the kid a few moments as they all stood silently agog before nodding. "Which one?" he asked. I pointed to the name, which was low on the panel if memory serves, near the bottom or maybe the last name on that panel. To my utter surprise the Tubster turned around and said, "He knows someone on the wall," and pointed toward the name. At that moment all the boys came to attention and saluted Jerry Waller. Then they took off again, but silently. Then I heard from behind, "Well I'll be damned. I have never seen anything like that..." It was the teacher in charge of the boys... "Me neither," was all I said.
Mary Jo Hall (West) (1966)
Michael...your memories of Jerry so touch our hearts. I did get to visit D.C. and see his name on the Vietnam Vetetan Memorial Wall. He was a member of our class at CPHS, '66. Deepest sympathy as always to his brother Joe, who also served and the entire family.