Denis Wayne Galloway

West Point, 1964

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Ben Sternberg on May 21, 2000:

For a good portion of firstie year, I was treated to Denis' Rabelaisian humor three times a day at the Pointer table. What a zest for life! In the late summer of '64, Denis and I were Ranger buddies. From that vantage point, I came to appreciate his soldierly skills and moral courage; not a different persona, just another layer of a complex and intriquing young man. I was with the 1st Engineers in Vietnam in 1966 when Bill Murdy called to tell me the bad news about Denis. I didn't understand the circumstances as related at that time. They made no sense, still don't. For me, the death of Denis at such an early date became emblematic of the worst aspect of the Vietnam experience, a sacrifice demanded by a government lacking a clear purpose, or perhaps the will to pursue it. Each year as we enter the summer months, I am often reminded of Denis' recollections of life in Elsbury, Missouri, where, according to him, folks sat on the porch and exclaimed "Whooee, sure is hot!"

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