Several times over the years, Elder Lance B. Wickman, emeritus General Authority Seventy, Church general counsel and military veteran, has visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.
Often referred to as “The Wall,” the memorial has a reflective surface bearing the etched names of more than 58,000 individuals who lost their lives or remain missing since the Vietnam War, honoring their service and sacrifice.
For Elder Wickman, a former U.S. Army Ranger who served two tours in Vietnam, the memorial is both an imposing and deeply spiritual place where the names of many of his personal friends are listed.
One is Spc. Daniel Fernandez of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who joined the Army right after high school. On Feb. 18, 1966, during a night patrol, a Viet Cong company ambushed American forces. As the men withdrew under heavy fire, an enemy grenade landed in the midst of several soldiers. Fernandez threw himself on the grenade, saving the lives of four men. Fernandez was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
“I can’t experience Memorial Day without thinking about so many of my own comrades in arms who didn’t come home. Those are the ones who we really honor on that day,” he said. “The death of any of these men was terrible. That is what I think about on Memorial Day.”
Elder Wickman paid tribute to his fellow servicemen in an interview with the Church News, sharing personal experiences, gospel lessons and reflections of Memorial Day in the United States and patriotism.
It’s possible — soldier and disciple of Christ
Elder Wickman was an officer in the United States Army from 1964 to 1969. He served twice in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader and as a military adviser to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, receiving the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, the Valorous Unit Citation and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
Later in his first tour, in November 1966, Elder Wickman’s battalion had just returned to base camp after weeks in the jungle when an urgent message crackled over the radio. Another battalion was being overrun by the enemy, and they needed to go to the rescue.
As he grabbed his helmet, rifle and prepared to move out, Elder Wickman said a silent prayer in his heart. The words of Proverbs 3:5-6 came to his mind: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Sometime later, Elder Wickman’s armored personnel carrier was traveling through a lightly forested area of jungle when it rolled over a command-detonated enemy land mine. The explosion was so great that the engine and other parts were blown from the vehicle. Everyone on board, including Elder Wickman, was wounded.
Following the blast, the same words in Proverbs — “Trust in the Lord” — returned to his mind, providing comfort and reassurance.
In the midst of the Vietnam War, Elder Wickman found personal peace, strength and confidence in the Book of Mormon, particularly the war chapters. He was inspired by the examples of Alma (see Alma 2:29-33), Captain Moroni (Alma 48:11-13, 17-19) and others. Despite witnessing the atrocities of war, they remained untarnished, drawing their strength from Jesus Christ and His gospel.
“These great men we read about in the Book of Mormon were a great inspiration to me that it is possible — you could be a soldier and still be a man of Christ,” he said. “It was a great blessing to me and always has been.”
‘I love America’
As people in the United States honor their loved ones this Memorial Day on May 25 and prepare to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary on July 4, Elder Wickman said he hopes they remember and appreciate those who sacrificed their lives to establish the freedoms enjoyed today. That includes respecting the agency, rights and religious freedom of others, as President Dallin H. Oaks has repeatedly taught.
“I’m grateful to the Lord. I’m grateful for the blessings in my life,” he said. “I’m so grateful to be a Latter-day Saint. I’m so grateful to be a citizen of this great nation. I love America, and I believe to the depths of my soul that it was established by the Lord as a place where the gospel could be restored.”
Elder Wickman continued: “In the midst of the challenges we face in today’s world ... how I pray that we can, during this year, embrace everything that America stands for. As we do, the Lord will lead us through these times.”
