Danny Lee Foster

Sergeant Dan Foster was raised in Plainview, Nebraska where his family went to church and Sunday School.  His 97-year-old Mother still lives there.  His Grandpa raised pigs on a wonderful farm.  He is part of a close-knit family.

Dan's Dad moved the family to Lemon Grove where he worked at Drew Ford.  It was a great atmosphere for a young person to visit.  Joe and Elmer Drew became close friends and mentors to Dan as he grew up.

Dan worked hard his whole life.  He mowed lawns, was a soda jerk, ran a Baskin Robbins, and worked at the San Diego Zoo. He was drafted into the Army from the Zoo.

Dan heroically jumped out of helicopters with his unit in Vietnam.  From the moment his boots hit the ground in Vietnam, through all the jungle warfare up until now, his main takeaway from frontline action in Binh Thuy, Xuan Loc, and Vung Tau was not the battles or the awards, but the camaraderie he felt with the men in his unit.

Dan fought with the 199th Light Brigade, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry.  This Brigade was considered to be a major backbone of the fighting force in Vietnam.  For their role in the defense of Saigon during and after the months following the Tet Offensive, the 199th Brigade was awarded The Valorous Unit Award for extraordinary heroism and the Vietnamese Cross Of Gallantry from the South Vietnamese government.  Dan remembers standing out in the fields receiving this award alongside his friends.*

 Dan's Unit fought to secure the area from Saigon to the Cambodian Border.  Their mission included reconnaissance-in-force operations, destroying enemy bunkers and supply caches, interdiction VC and NVA soldiers, and protecting civilians from the enemy.

 A ray of sunshine shone through the jungle to warm the hearts of Dan and his friends when Bob Hope came to Vietnam.  It was Christmas time.  Dan was injured by a helicopter rotor blade and had to be taken to Long Binh.  As he was arriving a space opened up in a truck and he got to go see Bob Hope, Joey Heatherton, and Ann Margaret.

 Dan said everyone was singing Silent Night at the end.  Suddenly a quietness fell over the audience.  That was one of Dan's greatest memories.

 Coming back from Vietnam was challenging.  He had been told he would be treated like a hero for all he had been through.  Instead, he couldn't find work and wound up cleaning toilets.

 That's when he began looking to successful mentors as role models.  He fought as hard to build up his heating and air conditioning business as he had in the jungles.  Through his efforts, his family is enjoying the results of his lucrative career.

 He has often said, "God has given me a wonderful wife, children, and grandchildren.  They are my life."

 With a successful family and business giving him a solid foundation, Dan started thinking about his war experiences and that of his friends.

 A vision grew to a reality as he built The Alpine Wall Of Honor where over 1,000 veterans are listed and celebrated with plaques and a ceremony in which they are saluted and applauded.

 There was a reason Dan's life was spared in Vietnam.  He was meant to honor the efforts of so many veterans.  Through seeing their names on this wall many have been healed of inner wounds.  Their scars will continue to be honored at this special place.

Dan's life is challenged daily by the Agent Orange sprayed on the jungles while he served in Vietnam.  Yet he pushes past that and accomplishes more than many who are in perfect health.

Dan is fond of saying, "I often speak with my friend God about everything."  It is so obvious to anyone who meets Dan that his primary objective in life is to honor his family, others, America, and his Lord.

The greater the man, the greater the humility.  This is evident in Dan's life.

 A special thank you goes out to Dan for his humility, warmth and humor.  We are all better for having known him.