A Woman On A Mission: Janna Hoehn
Years ago on a trip to Washington, D.C., Janna Hoehn chose a name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at random. She touched the engraved name, Gregory John Crossman, MIA, and made a rubbing. She returned home to Maui, Hawaii, and continued to wonder about this young man. Janna found his photo in a college yearbook, weeping as she saw his face for the first time.
Two years later, Janna learned that VVMF was also searching for photos. She submitted Gregory’s photo to VVMF and became a Faces Never Forgotten volunteer. After a year of combing through phone books, yearbooks and obituaries, Janna succeeded in submitting a photo for each person from Maui who gave their life in Vietnam.
The photos that she and all the other volunteers gather exist on the Virtual Wall of Faces online for everyone to see. The photos will eventually live in perpetuity in the Education Center at The Wall. This technologically-innovative learning facility will help visitors better understand the profound impact that the Vietnam War and other wars had on their friends and family members, their hometowns and the nation.
Janna continues to support VVMF as she searches for the photos Californians who gave their lives in Vietnam, and as she works to raise funds to build the Education Center.
The Education Center would not have been complete without Gregory’s photo, and it will not be complete until we collect a photo for each of the 58,286 names on The Wall. We could not do it without dedicated volunteers like Janna. Together, we are working to ensure that those who gave the ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten.
If you’d like to help Janna and support VVMF, click here: https://donate.vvmf.org/page/contribute/faces-never-forgotten-janna
The traveling wall was in Albany, Oregon August 8, 2013 I was very lucky to be able to give Tim a copy of a picture if my brother that was killed May 6, 1966 in Viet Nam. It was an honor to present the picture to Tim, while talking with him he let me know that a picture of my brother was being looked for. My brothers name and rank are as follows: Sgt. William E. Soderstrom I am so very proud of him and I miss him.
Someday my husband and I hope to be able to see the actual wall.
Regards,
Stephanie Soderstrom-Taylor
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Janna, my brother-in-law is Ronald Lee Stroomer. I saw your article in the AuburnReporter and yes we do have photos of Ronnie….We would love to share them…Claudia Stroomer,Auburn, Wash.
Need to have a mailing address so I can send a copy of uncles photograph who was killed in Viet nam in 1969. His name Daniel F DeButts…………..
Janna, my name is Dennis DeRose and I grew up with Gary (bobo) Trujillo. In fact his cousin and their family were are neighbors until 1967. Gary was I believe a year older than I me and lived in our neighborhood thru our grade school years. I myself was born in 1950 and I believe Gary was born the year before. Gary as I recall was from a large family with both sisters and one brother named David. We both attended Riverside Elementary school here in Grand Junction, Co and middle school at Orchard mesa. I can’t remember much about Gary in high school because we moved from our childhood neighborhood in 67. Gary was and individual with an exceptional sense of humor and could be called the class clown, I never remember him with anything but a smile on his face.
I’ve spent all morning looking through old photos of our childhood years thinking that I might have some early pictures but of no avail. Both my wife and I looked through our high school year books but found nothing about Gary. His cousins who were our neighbors no longer live here in Grand Junction except for a son. His name is Gary Allen Trujillo but there are no listings in the phone directory. Since Gary was from a large family I’m sure there are relatives still here in town and maybe the Riverside Dual Immersion Academy (DIA) which was the old Riverside elementary school could help in locating family members.
I wish I could be of more help because Gary was the type of individual one never forgets, his happy go lucky personality was very contagious and his personality as well. One other individual that was from the same school and area who also lost his life in Vietnam was Leroy Delgado. Again I apologize I really wish I could provide more and I hope some of what I’ve given can help and at least generate a picture.
Email me if I can be of any further help.
Dennis DeRose
Just read about your search for Montana Vietnam missing faces the 1968 Billings West yearbook should have a picture of a classmate Barclay L Volk
Thank-you Janna for finding the picture of my dear friend Barry Bennett Williams. We went to different highschools…and I could not find a picture of him to add to his memorial. I was only able to correct his middle name…and hated the fact he had no picture posted.
Today I saw the picture you posted…the tears just flowed. You have completed a special part of his memorial…the memories…seeing his face again…was like reliving yesterday.
What you do is really appreciated !
Pam Bell (Lei)
Oregon Coast
Was in basic training with William F.Richardson at Ft.Polk La. he was from my home town,Waskom Texas,He road home with me a couple of times on weekend pass.I have a picture of him in a book that I got after basic training .
Hi Clifford,
If you have a photo of William F. Richardson, you can upload it to his Virtual Wall of Faces page here: http://vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/43318/WILLIAM-F-RICHARDSON
Or you can mail it to:
Attn: Wall of Faces
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
1235 South Clark Street, Suite 910 Arlington VA 22202
Thanks,
-Latosha