Soldier's name joins his fallen comrades' on Vietnam wall

MONTICELLO – Monticello native Wesley Stiverson is being honored on Memorial Day in Washington, D.C., as his name and the names of two other soldiers are unveiled as the newest additions to the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

SP4 Stiverson, who was drafted into the Army in 1970, two years after graduating from Monticello High School, served in Vietnam until April 6, 1971, when his unit came under fire. A mortar shell exploded, and fragments caused penetrating wounds to his head, his right hand and right thigh. Although he survived, his injuries were so severe that he was unable to care for himself and he spent the remainder of his life – more than 32 years – at Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System in Danville. He died on March 30, 2005, at the age of 54.

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