NEWPORT — A fundraising drive is underway in Newport to help with the purchase of a stone monument to honor the late Pfc. Terry Whittaker, the fourth and last Newport soldier to die in the Vietnam Conflict
The 20-year old Marine was injured on April 8, 1967 when the amtrac he was driving struck a hostile mine that detonated while on patrol. He died a day later after suffering first and second-degree burns over 95 percent of his body.
At the time Whittaker was 20 years old. He was the son of Henry J. Whittaker of Depot Street and Mrs. Betty Parizo of 29 Elm St., both of Newport. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 31, 1966.
Realizing that Whittaker had never been honored in his hometown, Bob Dombroski, a resident of East Mountain Road in Newport, felt something should be done to honor Whittaker, 51 years after he died following the accident in the vicinity of Quang Ngai, Republic of Vietnam.
Speaking before the Newport Monument Committee on Monday, Dombroski said all of Whittaker’s family is deceased. The last one was a brother, Kevin, who died last year.
“There is only one uncle, Randy Lyden, and a lot of cousins,” Dombroski said. His wife, Cheryl, is one of the cousins.
Dombroski said he is looking to raise between $4,000 and $6,000 to purchase the stone that would be approximately 3 to 4-feet wide, around 5 feet high and 18 inches thick. “We will be looking at a bronze plaque about 18 by 24 inches,” Dombroski stated.
“It would be up to the town to find the place for the monument,” according to Dombroski.
Checks for the Terry Whittaker Fund Drive may be made out to American Legion Post 25 and mailed to the Post 25 address, 118 John Stark Highway, Newport, N.H. 03773, Attn: Peter Lovely.
Before enlisting in the Marines, Whittaker had previously attended Towle High School in Newport and St. Mary High School in Claremont. He played freshman football at Towle and played baseball for the Giants in the Newport Sunshine League.
He was born in Newport on March 16, 1947, was a communicant of St. Patrick Church and a member of Newport Memorial Post VFW. He received his basic training in the Marine Corps at Parris Island, S.C. and then served at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Members of the Monument Committee are Virginia Irwin, Bill Wilmot and Cathryn Baird.
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