Rededication of GHCHS Vietnam Memorial: Do You Know These People?

The Vietnam War Memorial for students at Granada Hills High has been renovated and will be rededicated in a ceremony Friday, May 25 at 12:30pm,

The renovation will add the names of six young men that did not make it onto the high school’s memorial when it was dedicated in the 1970s.

Carrie Boutros, who is coordinating this event at Granada Hills Charter High School, is trying to find family members or friends of those honored on the memorial before the rededication. Do you know any of these veterans or their families?


Frank Allender, Class of 1964
John Bafile
Brent K. Baker
Frederick Barrett, Class of 1968
Michael Barrett, Class of 1965
Glenn Blankenbiller, Class of 1968
William J. Bradford, Class of 1968
Geoffrey M. Brown, Class of 1970
Roger L. Duce
Robert Easton
Jerome Dennis Elkin, Class of 1961
Patrick C. Gollinger
Joseph L. Jacobs
Peter Jakobsen
Richard R. Manemann
Robert P. Mathias
James A. McMurdo
Karl D. Porter
Gregory L. Rice
Larry D. Strouse, Class of 1968
Michael C. Uhlig, Class of 1963
Malcolm Douglas Whiting, Class of 1966
John C. Yager


Please contact Douglas Smith douglas@socal.rr.com or Carrie Boutros cboutros@ghchs.com.

Comments

  1. Nice story in the Daily News today:

    http://www.dailynews.com/ci_20715505/granada-hills-charter-high-student-updates-vietnam-memorial

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was a friend and basketball team mate of John Bafile in high school. He never attended Granada Hills High School, but rather James Monroe (from Sept. 1960 to June 1963). He was a very good athlete - among the school's best in basketball (2nd team all East Valley League as a guard) and track (around 6 feet in the high jump, as I remember). Most of all, he was a good man and friend. His death in 1968 in a helicopter crash in Vietnam was a shock to those of us who were his friends at Monroe High. I visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D. C. around 2003, and seeing his name on the wall brought tears to my eyes. Rest in peace, John.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Many thanks; sounds like a great individual.

    John Bafile is listed on the Granada Hills "Triangle" Memorial dedicated in the 1970s at the intersection of Zelzah and Chatsworth, but was not named at the high school, and that is why his name was added to the high school memorial. Unfortunately, there are no public comprehensive records for the high school.

    In the NPS database for the Vietnam War Memorial, he is listed as having been from Sepulveda (now North Hills), but given the way boundaries and attendence areas have changed over the years, the thought was better safe than sorry. Please be assured his name is in good company, and that he will be remembered as one of many who died far too young.

    Very respectfully,

    Doug Smith

    ReplyDelete
  4. Was Team Manager for the GHHS Basketball Team. Toby Blankenbiller was the star forward of a team that made city playoffs. Nice guy. Always friendly to everybody and not a snob like a couple of others on the team. Tragic senseless death on the firing range at Fort Old during basic. Larry Strouse was a friend who lived on Index by Bob Pahlow. Nice guy and died in Nam after only three days. Senseless deaths only because our political leaders lost their way and refused to fight the war to victory. Rest in Peace to them and all who gave all for our freedoms.

    ReplyDelete

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