By BOBBIE L.
CARPENTER
Tribune Correspondent

PIEDMONT - Vietnam veteran and Piedmont resident Joe McDaniels had a dream while serving in Vietnam that the world was free from war, hunger, and hate.
His dream was shattered, however, when he awoke to an explosion just a few feet away. “When we were taking a break while being pinned down and things started to die down, I fell asleep,” McDaniels said. “I dreamed of world peace, no hunger, no war, nobody paying attention to color or creed. But then I woke up to an incoming round that exploded right next to me and killed a couple of my friends.”
When the battle died down again, McDaniels jotted down his dream on a piece of paper and shoved it into his pocket, not expecting to make it out alive. He eventually mailed the poem to his ex-wife and it was published in the Baltimore Guide.
Today, his poem is inscribed on a large memorial in his front yard on West Fairview Street, which also lists the names of five other local Vietnam veterans:  Ssg. E-6 Ronnie W. Marple, SP 4 Denny Bantz, Sgt. Ralph Wertz, SP 4 Leo J. Ruppert, and SP 4 Raymond W. Shillingburg.
The memorial, which also displays an American flag and a cement soldier that McDaniels molded himself, honors all living veterans of the Vietnam War.  “This is a tribute to all the living ones who came home,” said Sue McDaniels, Joe’s wife.
“Everybody always builds memorials to say thank you, but it’s always after they’re (veterans) dead,” said McDaniels. “I built a memorial for the living ones to say thank you.”
Though only a bit more than 3 feet tall, the soldier is a significant component of the structure.  It faces the west, looking out and waiting for all the prisoners of war and missing-in-action soldiers to come home.
“A single soldier stands there looking out to the west, guarding day and night, waiting for them to come home,” said McDaniels. “Until all of the MIAS and POWS come home, he will stand there. “
For the future, McDaniels has a dream of building another memorial to put in his front yard. “It is my dream to build a four-by-eight memorial to put out in our front yard next to that one and to put 800 names on there, including local residents who served in Vietnam and the Iraqi War, to say thank you to all the living ones,” said McDaniels.
This memorial would include names of veterans from the local area as far out as Cumberland.

My Dream

Last night I had a dream the world was seen in an everlasting peace.
The world I saw was a beautiful world, for all war had finally ceased.
I dreamed the suppression had learned its lesson, as well as had tyranny.
All men treated others like sisters and brothers and hunger was just a memory.
But I awoke to the sound of an incoming round singing its song of death.
My dream was shattered in a moment of truth and smothered in terror’s breath.
A billion tears have been cried and dried, but the tears are shed in vain.
For the power says it’s right to stay and fight and the young men go on being slain.
And thus it seems that all men’s dreams are lost in this world of hate,
For apathy, hypocrisy, indifference and fear are the words that rule our fate.

 -Ssg. Joe Lee McDaniels in Vietnam