IN MEMORY OF JAMES ROLAND (RONNIE) PLAKE
My brother, Ronnie, was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas on November 29, 1948 and was killed in Vietnam on October 29, 1967. Ronnie was one month shy of reaching 20 years of age when he was killed in Da Nang, Vietnam. He was a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps (A CO, 1ST BN, 4TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV, III MAF.)
Ronnie and I were half-brothers. Our father was Charles F. Plake, but we did not have the same mother. My mother, Nettie, died when I was ten years old and our Dad married Alice Arlee Hester. Our dad was a Pentecostal pastor of the First Apostolic Church in Fort Smith Arkansas, where Ronnie was born. My sister, Loleen, and I had the privilege of living with Ronnie until I enlisted. In 1954, I joined the Air Force and was separated from Ronnie for the rest of his life.
We were buddies. I adored my younger brother and he idolized me. I was told that he followed in my footsteps by joining the Military. Loleen took care of Ronnie and our brother, Benny, until she married shortly after I joined the Air Force. I loved both of my half-brothers and especially miss Ronnie today.
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