James Peter Mozden

West Point, 1964

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Bob Magruder on March 18, 1999:

Moose and I were not real good friends while at West Point, but I got to know him pretty well at Airborne and Ranger Training at Fort Benning. He was a great guy and fun to be with. His eulogy in the Assembly tells of his classmates love for him. I want to challenge those that knew Jim well, to help Mary Jo (Mozden) St. Peter accomplish her final goal for Jim's memory and that is what this is about. Jim returned from his 2d tour in Vietnam very sick and Mary Jo knows in her heart that it was something he caught in Vietnam that ultimately killed him in 1973. He was diagnosed with cancer and not much was really known about Agent Orange at that time. Many suspect that is what he had and what killed him. It will take a class effort to accomplish what Mary Jo wants and needs. She wants to see Jim's name on the Vietnam Memorial Wall. It will take many classmates to help with the documentation and to overcome the things the bureaucrats will throw at us. We can start with who were with Jim at the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam. It will be necessary to document some of the places he was at on specific dates to prove he was hit with Agent Orange. Who knows the process to get him declared an Agent Orange casualty? That seems to be the necessary step that must be accomplished before we can even approach the powers to be about the Wall. Email me if interested in helping and let me know how and what role you can play. We will start a special listserver for those working on this, if necessary, and put together the teams to make it happen. Mary Jo possibly qualifies for some of the $ 70 million that has been locked away for the Agent Orange casualties and widows. This chemical affected the offspring of veterans and that is covered by some recent Congressional and court cases. Do we have a lawyer that can help here? My challenge to the class is that, by the 40th Reunion, the class will be able to add Jim "Moose" Mozden to the list of those we are memorializing at the Vietnam Memorial. Will you help?

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