Benjamin Forest Bolding

Corporal
M CO, 3RD BN, 26TH MARINES, 1ST MARDIV
United States Marine Corps
23 August 1948 - 15 February 1969
Moore, Oklahoma
Panel 32W Line 036

1ST MARDIV

26TH MARINES
Silver Star

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Benjamin Forest Bolding

08 January 1999

REMEMBERED

A memorial initiated by
James B. Thompson
jbt0@aol.com
28 April 2002

REMEMBERED BY HIS FAMILY

Mary Bolding Robinson
E-Mail may be forwarded via the
Webmaster@VirtualWall.org
04 June 2002

Thank you for serving our country. I am proud of you and look up to you every day.

YOUR BRO

From his brother,
Daniel L Bolding
306 West Lilac Lane, Midwest City, OK

08 Apr 2006

The youth's fair form is fairest when he dies
Even in death the boy is beautiful;
The hero boy who dies in his life's bloom
He lives in men's regret and womens' tears
More sacred than in life, more beautiful by far
Because he perished on the battlefield.

From his mother,
Bonnie Bolding
3216 N Ridgewood Drive, Midwest City, Ok 73110
bonami21@sbcglobal.net

26 May 2007

Memorial to the Fallen

I heard in the darkness the cadence of marching;
Feet that were many came marching along.
I lay and I listened as it became stronger -
Soldiers were marching and singing this song:

"Oh we've been to battle and we fought so bravely
For our mothers, our sisters, our children and wives.
And though we were valiant and cunning and daring,
We shouldered the burden and gave up our lives.

Yes, we were all young men with dreams of the future;
Dreams of the future helped carry us along
through hours that were lonely and fearful and tiresome.
We took up the burden and we remained strong.

Oh, we loved our country and we became soldiers.
We gave up our homes, our friends and our fun.
Then we went to fight for ourselves and for others;
We lay down our school books and picked up a gun.

They trained us to fight and to kill for a living,
We swore our allegiance with our right hands.
Away we were sent to serve our tour of duty.
Now our blood's in the soil of a faraway land.

We were to young to vote or to drink or to marry,
No longer at home in the land of our birth.
We felt out of place with adulthood denied us -
Did not Uncle Sam know how much we were worth?

Six soldiers in dress bear my flag-draped coffin.
With white gloves flashing they salute the last time.
A soldier who's fallen; a comrade, a buddy
whose fighting is over - cut down in his prime.

The guns crack the air and Taps is played softly,
My family is there and they weep bitter tears.
Their waiting is over, they feared it would happen.
My place at the table will be empty for years.

Now we're all together and we'll go on marching.
We all did our duty and we answered the call.
Our bitterness buried, we'll stay young forever
We're marching to D.C. to salute the Black Wall".

November 18, 1982
Carol Bolding Brush

From his sister,
Carol Bolding Shanbour
bold1cr2@yahoo.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

According to the 3/26 Command Chronology for February 1969, Mike 3/26 detected hidden enemy troops observing the company's movement. The Marines took the enemy under fire, killing two but losing Corporal Bolding in the exchange of fires. His actions warranted a posthumous award of the Silver Star for valor in combat.


The point-of-contact for this memorial is
his sister,
Mary Bolding Robinson
E-Mail may be forwarded via the
Webmaster@VirtualWall.org



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 08 Jan 1999
Last updated 11/17/2007