Finding Faces Podcast

A woman named Claudine reaches out, asking Ryan to track down a photo of her high school sweetheart, James Nelson Youmans. Later, Ryan, Phil and Casey catch up over the phone.   Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season 1 finale, Phil, Casey and Ryan travel somewhat off-the-grid to visit a rural home in the woods of Central Massachusetts. After being led into a dark basement, they discover a plethora of pictures and artifacts once belonging to the last Vietnam serviceman on their list of men to find photos for.  Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan finally makes progress in tracking down a photo of Michael Faherty, the Irishman recently added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., along with the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Worcester.   Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Within just several years, two brothers mysteriously passed away while serving in the Navy. As the stories go, one died while trying to get onto a ship while the other died falling off of his ship. Ryan, trying to figure out exactly what happened, searches for sailors who might have witnessed these incidents.   Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode, Ryan checks in with some familiar voices and names from previous episodes, getting updates to past storylines.   Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan leaves New England for New York. Even though his goal is to find pictures, Ryan ends up divulging the mysterious details of a soldier's death to an unsuspecting family.   Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two men from Eastern Massachusetts, both named Walter, died in Vietnam within just weeks of each other. In one afternoon, around 50 years later, Ryan stumbles upon each of their siblings by accident.   Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the last of the missing central Massachusetts pictures get rounded up, Ryan searches for a family in East Boston just several doors down from where a serviceman lived when he was killed in Vietnam 52 years ago.  Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The search for pictures takes Ryan, Phil and Casey outside of Worcester, where a woman's battle with dementia is put to the test in an effort to dig up memories from 50 years in her past. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lifetime of mysteries and 30+ years of a seemingly endless search both come to a halt as Ryan helps Francis Allen Jr.'s younger sister answer some of the questions that have kept her up at night for decades. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces: vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: coffeltdatabase.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.