Between sorrow and pride: The morenci nine, the Vietnam War, and memory in small-town America

In July 1966 nine friends left the small copper-mining camp of Morenci, Arizona, for Marine boot camp. Ultimately, within two and a half years, all served in Vietnam, with only three returning alive. Over time, the Morenci Nine, as the group became known, emerged as an important story in the history of the Vietnam War and its impact on people in the Southwest. How people remembered the fallen sons of the copper miners, raised in a segregated company town, became important. The process followed the national pattern of individuals sustaining the memories until the nation finally started to deal with the trauma of the losses after the unveiling of the Vietnam Memorial. The efforts continue today as new forms of memorialization develop for the Morenci Nine even forty years later.