BEAVER — Nearly 34 years after a West End man was killed in combat during the Vietnam War, the buddy who carried his body out of the jungle will meet his friend’s family and visit his grave.
Johnny Stephenson of Cleveland, Tenn., will be meeting the family of his deceased comrade-at-arms, Douglas G. Foster of Beaver.
Foster graduated from Forks High School in 1965 and volunteered to fight in the war.
He was killed during combat in Quang-Ngai on Sept. 14, 1968.
Foster was 21.
Stephenson said although he knew Foster for only three months, the men talked constantly.
“I really looked up to him,” he said. “Of all the things that happened to me during the war, his death stayed with me the most.
Stephenson and Foster’s family are planning a potluck picnic Saturday at Tillicum Park in Forks to remember the fallen Beaver soldier.
The potluck picnic is open to anyone who knew Foster — picnic-goers should bring a non-alcoholic beverage and a dish to share.
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