November 10, 2005
Coffee County- Family members unveil new signs recognizing the bridge over 20 Mile Creek in Coffee County as the PFC DeWayne King Memorial bridge.
"We just feel it's very important these guys aren't forgotten," says James Kevin King.
With the new memorial bridge, six of seven of the Coffee Countians to die in the Vietnam conflict have now received the honor. But this unveiling is even more special for James Kevin King. 2"He was my uncle and my hero," James Kevin King says. "DeWayne wasn't drafted. He joined the Marines voluntarily, knowing all the while he'd be seeing combat in Vietnam, and he was proud of that fact. He went in willingly."
Relatives say the 20 year old knew there was a chance be killed in combat. April 13, 1968 he wrote a letter to family members back home updating them about his mission, how many men his platoon had lost, and some melted ice cream he and his comrades had enjoyed. PFC King was killed the next day, Easter Sunday, on Hill 881 North in Vietnam.
"I think he was the finest young King we had in the family. He was very brilliant," says King's cousin, Foy King.
"I wasn't born until about 12 years after he died. I remember going to the cemetery and daddy would explain to me who DeWayne King was and why he died," his King's great-nephew, Daniel King.
The Douglas American Legion also has plans to get bridges named after the Coffee Countians who have died in Iraq.
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