Welch in McDowell County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Julius Cartwright Foster, “Corky”

Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps

— Sept. 28, 1938 – Feb. 22, 1968 —

Julius Cartwright Foster Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 24, 2021

1. Julius Cartwright Foster Monument

Inscription. He gallantly gave his life in combat in the Quang Tri Province in South Vietnam during the battle for Khe Sanh, as a member of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 29th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. Fighting for the freedom from communism for the people of South Vietnam, a cause which he truly believed in.

Corky made a historic four hundred mile march from Welch to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to show his support for the U.S. policy in Vietnam and was critical of draft card burning and desecration of the American flag. He requested immediately assignment to Vietnam where he fought for these same causes. In less than three months after arriving in Vietnam, he was mortally wounded by enemy mortar fire.

Lance Corporal Foster was honored at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in 1969 when the main entrance to Camp Geiger was named the Julius C. Foster Boulevard.

Greater love has no man that a man lay down his life for his friends.
—John 15:13
SEMPER FIDELIS

Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, Vietnam. A significant historical year for this entry is 1969.

Location. 37° 25.081′ N, 81° 35.396′ W. Marker is in Welch, West Virginia, in McDowell County. Memorial is on Riverside Drive (West Virginia Route 16) near Coal Heritage

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Road (U.S. 52), on the left when traveling south. It is in Veterans Park, close to the intersection of U.S. 52, WV 16 and WV 103. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Welch WV 24801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. McDowell County Veterans Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Merci Boxcar (within shouting distance of this marker); Bushwhackers in McDowell (within shouting distance of this marker); McDowell in the Civil War (approx. 0.9 miles away); McDowell County (approx. one mile away); Welch (approx. one mile away); McDowell County Courthouse (approx. one mile away); Ethnic Population of McDowell County (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Welch.

Also see . . . Recruit Corky Foster hiked over 400 miles to demonstrate his conviction. Undated article by Mark Mathosian at HistoryNet. Except:

On Aug. 27, 1967, Corky left his grandfather’s home in the coal-mining region of Welch, West Virginia, and hiked toward the Marine base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Corky had already served in the Marines in a multiyear reserve program and received an honorable discharge in February 1967, just three months before graduating from the University of West Virginia. By summer, he was itching to go to Camp Lejeune and reenlist. Before he left home, Corky had already
Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 24, 2021

2. Julius Cartwright Foster Monument
completed the necessary physical and mental tests to put on a Marine uniform again.

Corky walked more than 400 miles on a difficult 31-day trek to Camp Lejeune—an attention-getting maneuver he would use to “emphasize the effort being made by other Americans fighting in Vietnam and to show that the American people and college graduates wanted to bring the war to a successful and honorable close,” reported the Charleston Gazette, a West Virginia newspaper, on Aug. 29, 1967.

(Submitted on August 3, 2021.)

Julius Cartwright Foster Arriving at Camp Lejeune image. Click for full size.

U.S. Government photo from Camp Lejeune Photographic Library via HistoryNet.com

3. Julius Cartwright Foster Arriving at Camp Lejeune

Credits. This page was last revised on August 3, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 257 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 3, 2021, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.