Veterans remembered, honored at DC memorials

WASHINGTON - A steady stream of visitors have been honoring veterans at memorials on the National Mall in the nation's capital.

On Monday, many came to pay their respects at the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

On the panel of the wall that holds the names from 1969 at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, David Reynolds, visiting from North Carolina, found the one he was looking for. Patrick James Dugan, a good friend of his uncle, was killed on Feb. 17, 1969 - just under four months into his tour of duty.

Dugan is one of more than 58,000 names engraved on the panels here. It is a place where etchings are made and items are left behind.

Since the opening of the memorial, people have been leaving mementos here. Often times, they are letters or a description of the soldier's bravery. There are photos and items so personal that the only the person leaving it at the base of the wall knows what it means.

Dugan was 20 years old and was with Reynolds' uncle when they were both cut down by enemy fire. Reynolds' aunt asked him to get her the etching.

"They were both shot, but they had actually switched positions that day and that Patrick lost his life that day when they had switched positions," said Reynolds. "So kind of a twist of fate so to speak."

"It's a sobering moment for me because at least from my close friends, I don't have a ton of servicemen in my close circle of friends, and to think about my uncle's generation, what they gave up and just the number of casualties in that war, it's just a very sobering feeling to think about."