Saturday, July 21, 2018

This is a January 31, 2011 post pertaining to a childhood friend of mine who was killed in Vietnam during the '68 Tet offensive, Hurley Alvin Smith:

Findagrave entry
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/133600914/hurley-alvin-smith

Hi,
My name is Martha Day Morgan. My husband somehow found your blog and noticed Hurley Alvin Smith’s name. His mom was my step-mother. I have letters that Hurley Alvin wrote from Vietnam, and I have the notices from Western Union notifying his mom, Hazel, of his death and the date of his body’s arrival in the States. Although I never met Hurley Alvin, I grew up seeing his photos in his grandma Smith’s house. My dad and step-mom had no pictures of him out in their house. I guess it was just too painful. I only remember my step-mom talking about him one or two times. I would love to know more of him. I have been to the Wall and of course, did tracings of Hurley Alvin’s name for his mom.
Most of Hurley Alvin’s immediate family is gone now. His mom’s mother and father and some of his aunts/uncles have passed on. His mom and step-dad (my dad) passed a few years ago. Do you know if his dad is still living? I never knew anything about him. I would like to archive Hurley Alvin’s things with someone—I’ve thought about trying to donate them to a museum somewhere in Alabama.  
It’s a small world, isn’t it? I live about 70 miles from Dothan (near Florala, AL). Anyway, just wanted to let you know that someone still thinks of Hurley Alvin. My brother also served in Vietnam, and thank God, came home safely.
Martha Morgan
Kindergarten Teacher
Laurel Hill School
hobo_med_new

M~
Doug Smith, Hurley Alvin's Daddy, was my Daddy's main man @ his tire shop for many years. I have no idea what happened to Doug. The last time I saw him was @ Johnson Funeral Home after they got Alvin's body back from 'Nam. That was so sad.

I have great memories of Hurley Alvin.We played together on most weekends because our Dads worked together. He and his parents lived in a trailer that was parked in Doug's parents front yard just off of U.S. 84 East near Sanitary Dairy. They lived near the Turkey Pond and Alvin and I had a trap line there. We fished a lot at Enon. We had horses and rode all those roads in that area. I thought Alvin was gonna go to college but his parents split up the moment he graduated from high school. Alvin wanted to be a dentist and he was smart enough to have made one.
Thanks for writing. You brought up a few tears. What a great loss.

best,
Robert RegisterMany thanks to Ray Hutto for shooting us this link to the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm
Three of my closest childhood friends are on that Wall.

Hurley Alvin Smith's Daddy was my Dad's "main man" @ Jack Wise Tire Co. From 1959 until Alvin graduated from high school in '66, I spent almost every weekend doing something with Hurley Alvin. We kept chickens, pigeons, crows, quail and pheasants. We had horses and ponies. We had a trap line set up around the Turkey Pond located south of Porter's Fairy Land. We usually fished Enon Pond or the VFW. I learned a lot about the woods and water from Hurley Alvin.


Hurley Alvin Smith
Lance Corporal
C CO, 1ST ENG BN, 1ST MARDIV, III MAF
United States Marine Corps
Dothan, Alabama
November 27, 1946 to February 02, 1968
HURLEY A SMITH is on the Wall at Panel 36E Line 086
See the
>>>>>>>full profile for Hurley SmithSee the full profile for Hurley Smith

usmc120.gif
3rdmaf.gif"
phndvsvc.gif

1mardiv.gif"



Contact UsCopyright© 1997-2010 www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd ®(TM