'Profound agony' : Memorial Day ceremony in Broadway honors those who paid the ultimate price

May 31—Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Robert Hattler recalled the deaths of some of his friends during the Vietnam War as he spoke to the crowd assembled at the North Carolina Veterans Memorial in Broadway Monday.

Hattler, now 86, was one of several guest speakers at the Memorial Day Ceremony sponsored by American Legion Post 347, where he also serves as vice commander. Hattler's voice broke as he recalled his friends who died in combat more than five decades ago.

"I am not sure when I first heard that my roommate 'Mel' was missing in action," he said. Later we all learned the details of the combat action and knew that he could not have survived."

'Mel' to Hattler was Lt. Col. Merwin R. Morrill, USAF, of San Carlos, California. He was killed in action on Aug. 21, 1967 in North Vietnam.

Hattler said then Capt. Morrill was the pilot of one of four F-105 aircraft that left Tekhli Royal Thai Base to strike the Yen Vien rail yard six miles northeast of Hanoi.

"During the strike, the F-105s of Capt. Morrill and his wingman, Capt. Lynn Kessler Powell, were seen to explode when struck by anti-aircraft fire," he said. "No parachutes were seen; however, two electronic emergency signals were heard."

Hattler said both Capt. Morrill and Capt. Powell were listed as missing in action and that during the time he was listed as missing, Morrill was promoted along with his class to major and then lieutenant colonel. In 1978, his status was changed killed in action/body not recovered. In 1985, Morrill's remains were returned by the Vietnamese government.

Morrill was a member of the United State Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1958, along with Hattler. Morrill was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Air Medal (first and second Oak Leaf Clusters) and the Purple Heart.

"The Class of 1958 is now a group where loss is to be expected; a group born before World War II," Hattler said.

Hattler also shared the story of Morrill's brother, Lt. Col. David Whittier Morrill, who was also killed in combat in Vietnam. David Morrill was a major at the time, flying a U.S. Marine Corps F-4 Phantom, which left Chu Lai, Vietnam on an air support mission of Marine Corps ground troops in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. His aircraft was seen to pull off target on the fourth pass and contact was lost. The lead aircraft observed a ground explosion more than a mile from the target. No parachutes were seen, and both Maj. Morrill and his Intercept Officer, Lt. Maxim C. Parker were listed as missing in action.

"In 1993, the site was excavated by a joint Vietnamese/American task force," Hattler recalled. "Maj. Morrill's wedding ring and remains were recovered at the site."

As he spoke about David Morrill, Hattler noted that Maj. Morrill had been chosen as one of the final 30 candidates for the Apollo astronaut program.

Hattler related their deaths to an earlier task he had performed while on ROTC duty at West Virginia University in 1967.

"I was assigned additional duty as the official notification officer for servicemen who had died on active duty," Hattler said. "One notification which I cannot forget illustrated the dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War, which was building among the American people at the time."

Hattler said he knocked on the door and the woman who answered immediately knew why he was there.

"She recoiled and said, 'That Goddamn (President Lyndon B.) Johnson killed my boy.' " he said. "I think we can all understand her grief. Just think of the parents of the Morrill boys when they had to face the loss of both boys within a three-month period. Two extraordinary sons. Profound agony."

After speaking of his own service, Hattler asked all who served during the period of the Vietnam War to come forward and join him in the gazebo. He had each service member, more than two dozen, step to the microphone and give their name and branch of service.

He concluded by reading the names of those from Lee County who had died during the Vietnam War. There are 20 names on the list.

Several others addressed the crowd during the hour-long ceremony.

"They gave their lives so that we could be here," Roy Lee Buchanan, American Legion Post 347 commander, said.

Other guests who spoke included State Rep. John Sauls and Lee County Sheriff Brian Estes.