A First Person Report by Frances Durocher

On Wednesday, July 18, 2007, VFW members from the Mountain Communities attended the services for a real American hero who was laid to rest at Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetary in Bakersfield. Cpl. James Edwin Moshier was born on August 3, 1943 in Oklahoma and died June 11, 1967 in Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam. He made his return after 40 years of being "Missing In Action" (MIA).

Present at his memorial service from VFW Post 9791 were Lester Arterburn, Will and Dorothy Bummer, DiAnn Dever, A.J. and Frances Durocher and Dale and Wilma Mann. Also present were six comrades from his unit. They came from various parts of the country.

Upon entering the cemetary, you could tell it was a special day-a day to honor a hero.

Coming down the street amongst the traffic, a farmer clad in overalls drove through the gates of the cemetary on his John Deere tractor flying our American flag.

There were motorcycles parked as far as your eyes could see. Bike clubs from all over the county were represented. The logos on their jackets stated the hometowns. One can assume many were Vietnam Veterans. All held unfurled flags.

The service was very moving as James Moshiers’ family shared their memories of his life. Many spoke of his willingness to help anyone in need.

He enlisted in the Navy right out of high school. When his stint was up, he reenlisted with the Marines. Not many young men did that. He had been wounded in Vietnam and had the chance to return home, but requested to be sent back to his unit. He didn’t want to let his buddies down. He was with a reconnaissance patrol and felt he needed to get back.

After the service, as we exited the chapel, I saw that same farmer in overalls standing quietly, paying his respects.

Outside, the bikers had formed a column of hundreds of men and women, Honor Guards, carrying American and MIA flags. They stood crisply at attention. The column formed a path from the Chapel to the gravesite, at least one hundred yards long.

Among the Honor Guards stood Simba Roberts from our Mountain Community. Cpl. Moshier was to be buried next to his father and the son he had never met.

A military three-gun salute sounded, followed by the playing of Taps. It was a shattering experience, hearing the echo of gunfire on an otherwise sullen day.

There was a luncheon at the VFW Post 97 on Union Ave. in Bakersfield. They hosted the family and friends after the service. Many people attended from past and present wars. A Vietnam veteran who had made a visit to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. made a scratching of Cpl. Moshier’s name from the memorial and presented it, in a frame, to James’ mother. The family spoke about finally having complete closure after 40 years.

[Editor’s note: VFW officials in Bakersfield informed a local VFW member that Moshier may have been listed as "KIA" in military records, rather than as "MIA," because it was known that his helicopter had crashed and observers in the air reported there were no survivors. His remains were lost until recently, when—the family relates—Buddhist monks revealed after 40 years that they had buried the soldier secretly. DNA tests in the spring verified that the remains were indeed those of James Moshier, and they were restored to the family.]

This is part of the August 03, 2007 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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