He Never Got The Chance To Grow Old

From the moment he took his first breath at birth, until the day some 22 years after when his life on earth ceased, he was a "Kenny." Some people have names that don't quite seem to fit.  

His name was perfect.  Everyone I know called him Kenny, even his teachers.  He had no enemies and always had a smile. 

As with other guys in our small Midwestern town, boys our age met each other by playing Little League baseball.  That was the case with Kenny and me.  We were both second sackers for our teams.  

We complemented each other in that he had a great glove and I had a decent bat.  That was the way it was for the next several years.  
 

It was 1962 and Elvis was still a big deal.  In our high school, most of us wore our hair very short.  Kenny Thornton chose a modified "DA" for his senior picture. 

Like many young men, Kenny joined the military right out of high school.  Nobody looks happy in their basic training photo, and his was no exception.  Through the eyes of an older person, he looks extremely young.

Kenny attained the rank of sergeant in the Marines after a couple of years.  By now, he was a grizzled veteran.  

This is information from the Virtual Wall found on the internet.  Think of where you were when you were 22.

There was a great deal of controversy over the Vietnam War Memorial.  One was the use of black granite, the plain design,  and the architect, Maya Lin.

A hometown memorial honoring the men who gave their lives stands in Shelby.

The addition to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.