10th Anniversary of Reburial of Vietnam War Patriot, Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. & Wife, Ouida Fay Wright at Arlington National Cemetery Slated March 2024
A Decade after the reburial of Fallen Vietnam War Patriot, Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. and His Deeply Loved Wife, Ouida Fay Wright at Arlington National Cemetery, The Wright Family Will Celebrate "Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor." Ceremonies commemorating the correction of the injustice of Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. being buried in a segregated cemetery for 50 years in his native Jacksonville, Florida will be held March 9, 2024.
By: Wright Enterprises, www.wrightnow.biz
SAN FRANCISCO - Jan. 1, 2024 - PRLog -- Posted Courtesy of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight San Francisco ~ Dallas
It's now been sixty years since Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. was laid to rest at the Mt. Olive Cemetery after dying, March 9, 1964, on a mission of Honor Guard for then Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, two weeks before his scheduled return from Vietnam to his much loved wife, Ouida Fay Wright and their four children, who were waiting in Phenix City, Alabama, near then Fort Benning, Georgia renamed Fort Moore, May 11, 2023.
Shannon Wright Compound Vinh Long
Wyley Ouida Wright Knights Of Air Logo
George & Diana Moll;Ginger S. Young; Wrights
Ten years ago, Sp5 Wright was reburied at Arlington National Cemetery with his wife, after his children, who were 10 years old; 8 years old; five years old and six-months old at the time of his death, discovered their father, who had given his life, the highest and best in the cause of freedom for the United States of America, had been buried in a deteriorating cemetery that was segregated. The ceremony titled "Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor" was chronicled in several articles including the San Francisco BayView Newspaper titled "Love Story at Arlington."
The Wrights have once again invited the members and families of current and past soldiers of the 114th Aviation Company of which Wright was a member to attend. The group was asked to share the following notice to its members:
Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. & Ouida F. Wright 10th Anniversary Arlington Commemoration
The family of Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr., a fellow "Knight of the Air" who became a 32-year- old fallen patriot on March 9, 1964 in the helicopter crash of UH 1B 62-01961 that also claimed the life of 20-year-old PFC John Francis Shea as they served as honor guards for Vietnam-era Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, will commemorate the 2014 reburial of Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. and his dearly loved wife Ouida Fay Wright at Arlington National Cemetery. Details are being finalized. Here's a link to the ceremony scheduled for March 9, 2024: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/love-reunited-10th-anniversary-tribute-to-sp5-wyley-ouida-wright-tickets-769829740477?aff=oddtdtcreator For more information, contact Sp5 Wright's eldest child, Jackie Wright at lovereunited2014@gmail.com. Special thanks to George Moll and Ginger Shannon Young who responded (https://www.prlog.org/12297667-families-of-fallen-viet-nam-heroes-lt-kenneth-shannon-sp5-wyley-wright-jr-remember-50-year-sacrifice.html) to the original request for members of the 114th Aviation Company to attend March 10, 2014.
The upcoming March 9th commemoration is more than just a family recognition as the Wright family gives a glimpse of the suffering of millions of U.S. families that have sacrificed for freedom over and over again in U.S. history. To honor one is to respect all as in the case of John Francis Shea of Willimantic, Connecticut, who died in the helicopter crash with Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr., serving the United States of America in a foreign land.
This year's tenth anniversary commemoration of the reburial will be dedicated to Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. and Ouida Fay Wright's oldest son, U.S. Army Veteran and former Staff Sargent, Joe Nathan Wright (August 15, 1955-February 23, 2022) and his wife of 38 years, Brenda Michelle Tibbs Wright (July 26, 1956-November 18, 2018), daughter of late U.S. Army Veteran, Bruce Tibbs Sr. and the late Doris Ward, a longtime federal employee at Fort Moore, Georgia.
Since the reburial of the Wrights at Arlington, during the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement and 150th Anniversary of the creation of Arlington National Cemetery, a short documentary was developed about the original ceremony "Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor as described in a Florida Times Union Article: https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2020/02/25/documentary-chronicles-jacksonville-veteranrsquos-story/112241376/
and the website about the film "Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor," www.lovereunited.org. Additionally, George Moll, who served with Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. was honored by the Houston, Texas Mayor, Sylvester Turner: https://www.prlog.org/12846475-veterans-day-is-veterans-life-for-many-military-families.html.
"Originally, when we realized our father was in a segregated cemetery for fifty years, it became our mission to honor our father who gave all to this country having successfully completed over 300 missions in Vietnam and the recipient of honors such as the Air Medal, my siblings and I were determined to place him and our mother in hallowed ground worthy of his sacrifice and their love," said Jackie Wright, eldest of the four Wright Children.
"Commemorating their re-burial we titled "Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor" is not only a tribute to our parents, it is a tribute and honor to all military families that have lost loved ones to war," added Wright. "It reminds us to remember and cherish their sacrifices because our accomplishments are built on their dedication and service." Sp5 Wyley and Ouida Wright are buried near the intersection of York and Halsey, Section 59, grave 4977 at Arlington National Cemetery. Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. is listed on the Vietnam Memorial designed by Maya Lin, The Wall at Panel 1E, Line 46.
The remaining children of Sp5 Wyley Wright Jr. and Ouida Fay Wright, Jackie Wright, born August 16, 1953 at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, resides in San Francisco; Stanley Wright born March 8,1958 at Martin Army Hospital, Fort Moore, resides in Orangeburg, South Carolina and Phyllis Cameron, born September 30, 1963 at Martin Army Hospital, now resides in Atlanta, Georgia. The eldest son Joe Nathan Wright, born August 15, 1955 at Martin Army Hospital, died in Grand Prairie, Texas after previously living in the San Francisco Bay Area and moving back to Columbus, Georgia, where he cared for both his wife declining in health after her retirement from CalTrans and his U.S. Army veteran father-in-law, who he continued to care for after his wife's death in 2018.
For more information about the "Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor" Tenth Anniversary Commemoration, email Jackie Wright at lovereunited2014@gmail.com. Visit https://www.lovereunited.org/ for details about the documentary.