Dog Tag Returned to family of KIA James Golding in CT
Branford CT – On 6 Sept 1944, James Richard Golding was born – the son of James Medley Golding Jr and Pauline (Taylor) Golding. At the age of 24, on 23 Nov 1968, James was killed while serving in Vietnam. At home, his widow, daughter, parents and sister were left to grief his untimely death. It was his second tour in Vietnam – he was with FOB-4, CCC, MACV-SOG, 5TH SF GROUP, USARV.
Nearly 44 years after becoming a widow, Alyson Golding was reunited with a piece of her husbands time in Vietnam – his dog tag. By her side was their daughter, Helen Elizabeth, who was just a baby when he was killed.
Phil Brown, a comrade that was with James Golding when he was killed, flew in from California to speak with Allyson and Beth and share some stories of his time with James.
The dog tag return presentation was overseen by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Nam Knights of America MC at the Holiday Inn in Branford, CT on Saturday, April 27th. Members of the Delaware Valley Chapter made the 4 hour trip from Cherry Hill NJ to Branford CT on their motorcycles Saturday to honorably present the Golding family with James dog tag.
Among others in attendance was Bernie Mihenski, who had also lost his dog tag in Vietnam – his dog tag was returned to him by the Nam Knights in August 2012 at his local VFW in Plymouth, PA. A quick friendship was forged between Bernie and the Delaware Valley Nam Knight members that presented him with his dog tag – Bernie and his friends came along to be a part of the special presentation to James Golding’s widow and daughter.
Golding’s dog tag was among hundreds brought home in 1993 in Vietnam by a retired Police Chief and Vietnam Veteran, who was there as logistics support coordinator for a group called Operation Smile. In the streets outside his hotel, he met villagers who had what appeared to be old, rusty American dog tags. He later gave them to the * POW/MIA Awarenesss Committee of NJ to locate and return the dog tags to the veterans.
“What we have done since receiving the dog tags is to ensure that each dog tag, when welcomed, is hand delivered, by a veteran – brother to brother. Whether a small private hand off, or a more public return, each dog tag return is handled according to what the veteran/family is comfortable with,” Quinn-Morris, Director of Research.
Th Nam Knights of America MC, which is a Military and Veteran Motorcycle Club, came onboard with the project at its onset and continues to help with alot of the dog tag returns. To date their chapters have handled returns in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, New York, Arizona, Tennessee, and Michigan.
*** 2014 – The POW/MIA Awareness of NJ disbanded after the death of President Tony Halas. Director of Research, Sue Quinn-Morris, continues the Dog Tag Project work under the PATRIOT CONNECTIONS DOG TAG PROJECT now.