There’s a section titled, “Keepers of the Flame” in
my book, “Died on the fourth of July.” It tells the stories of people
who work to keep alive the memories of men who died in Vietnam. One of them is
Steve Conto, who over the past 15 years has found and recorded the burial
locations of all men from Wisconsin who died in Vietnam. He calls it "The Final
Bridge."
I recently received an email from Steve telling me he
had visited with the family of PFC Randolph (Randy) Spiers, who died
in Vietnam on July 4, 1970. Randy was married and had a son. His widow, Diann,
passed away in 2011.
Randy’s prized possession was an old pickup truck.
He parked it in a field outside the family home when he left for Vietnam, and
it still stands there today as his family's tribute to him. Steve sent me photos of the
family and a picture of the truck, as well as a photo of Randy’s gravestone
with my book next to it. The Spiers family signed Steve's copy of the book for him.
As long as there are men like Steve Conto, the memories
of those who died in Vietnam will be preserved and honored. Here’s what he
wrote about that visit:
A Keeper of the Flame, By Steve Conto
In the book “Died on the Fourth of July” by John
F. Schlatter, there is a section called “Keepers of the Flame.” I just happen to be one of those
keepers. There’s a small mention of me
among the pages.
The real stories are about the boys we lost in
Vietnam on the 4th of July. One in particular was Randy Spiers from Maysville,
Missouri. His story has captivated me
ever since I first read it. I made a
promise to myself that someday I was going to visit Maysville, Missouri and his
truck. That all came to being on June 5,
2017, nearly 47 years since Randy was taken.
My wife Cindy and I first met his brother Marion,
sister Lynn and niece Sarah at the cemetery.
We then followed them to the family homestead north of town. There in a field just in back of the house
stood Randy’s old truck in the exact spot where he left it. The years have taken their toll on it. But
nonetheless, it stands as a memorial to his memory.
Once inside the house we met Randy’s mother
Martha, 93 years young, his other sister Marsha and her husband Paul. They were all grateful for us stopping by and
remembering Randy. They all then shared
stories about him. When it came time for
us to leave, I once again thanked everyone and shook their hands. Mom Spiers then said something to me I’ll
cherish all of my remaining days: “There wasn’t much good that came out of that
time of the Vietnam War, but you are one of the exceptions.” I thanked her for her kind words.
It felt right then that Randy was with us in
spirit and grateful for our meeting. His
flame showed a little brighter on that warm afternoon. I am just a keeper of many who keep Randy’s
flame lit. May he forever live in the
hearts and minds of those who once held him dear. May God bless the Spiers family.
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| PFC Randolph Spiers |
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| Randy's niece, Sarah; brother, Marion; and sister, Lynn. |
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| Randy's grave marker and Steve Conto's copy of the book. |
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| Randy's truck, right where he left it in 1970. |
