My Ocean Springs: 2007 in Pictures

Ocean Springs is home to the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a breathtaking tribute to the 667 casualties from the state of Mississippi, and a living tribute to those who survived. The names and faces of those who made the supreme sacrifice seem to be arranged randomly to the casual visitor, but there is a very distinct pattern: they are arranged geographically. Black and white, rich and poor, young and old, the heroes of Vietnam are located next to their Mississippi neighbors, the men they lived and died beside for the sake of their country. Jim McVeay, whose stellar military career included two tours in Vietnam, emerged from the war with a Silver Star, four Purple Hearts, and such an array of decorations that some claimed him to be the most decorated soldier in Mississippi. But he also emerged with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a condition he still battles in his dreams at night in his Ocean Springs home less than a mile from the memorial.