LCpl John David Ponder USMC Passing of the Flag planned for Saturday morning, Aug 3, 2019 10:00 a. m. Perry County Veterans Wall Of Honor!
A scrapbook article, a missing diploma and a Military History Museum’s efforts ensure recognition of Vietnam Veteran for the ages.
LCpl John David Ponder USMC was born on 10/21/1948 in Perry County, Missouri. He was KIA 5/16/1968 in Vietnam.
This fallen Marine Corps Warrior gave his all for his country and went 50 years without local recognition on any hometown monuments until a scrapbook article and a High School looking to deliver a missing Diploma crossed path of a local Perry County Museum co-curator.
Recently, a scrapbook article from 1970 surfaced in a Perryville paper referencing six local veterans that were killed during combat operations in Vietnam.
David was listed as the last name in the article which caught the attention of John Rauh (Assistant Curator of the Military Museum). John questioned why David was not among those listed on any local Vietnam Veterans monuments.
This chain of led to secondary questions as to why this Marine was not mentioned on local monuments for 50 years. Because of this chance connection, the remaining three sisters of John David Ponder were notified and will travel to Perryville to honor their brother by donating his burial flag to the Museum and official recognize his name and image now being etched in stone for eternity
