Remembering a Hero: Cpt. William Meara
Beautifully written by Darrell Elder , staff writer and published in Powhatan Today 05/24/06.
In 1968 Powhatan School Superintendent Margaret Meara’s life was very different than it is today. Yet, in that same year, her life was rocked, forever changing the path she was on.
Meara was a young 20-year-old newlywed. She had moved back home with her parents while her husband, Capt. William Meara, was serving the country in Vietnam. He had been stationed on the Cambodian border for six months when his battalion got in some trouble from enemy lines. As detailed in For Garry Owen in Glory, written by Lt. Col. James Schild, information gathered from “Garry Owen Liberator,” the battalion newspaper, revealed that on Nov. 2, 1968, Company B commenced a reconnaissance mission about 32 miles west of Quan Loi. While completing the assignment, the second platoon came under extreme enemy fire. The platoon was cut off by North Vietnamese Regulars.
The article states, “The commanding officer of Company B, Captain William Meara, immediately turned the lead elements of his Company around in order to go to the aid of his besieged platoon…Deeply concerned about his stranded platoon, Captain Meara rose to his feet and personally led an assault on the first enemy bunker in their path. Disregarding the extremely heavy hostile fire, Captain Meara succeeded in knocking out the first bunker and killing two NVA. Again he rose to his feet and led another assault against the second bunker, killing one enemy soldier before he himself was mortally wounded…”
Meara’s outward appearance easily displays the pride and love she still feels for her heroic husband. Married only two short years, Meara says the two met on a ship taking them home from a military base in Germany. Her father was in the military and was stationed in Germany where Meara attended 10th through 12th grade and graduated high school. The young couple had a shipboard romance. Then they didn’t contact each other for a year. “Then he started writing letters and we got back together.”
Sitting in the conference room next to her office, Meara quietly uses adjectives like handsome, tall, blue eyes, dark hair, good-looking along with patriotic, conservative values, God and family to describe her hero. “We were both so attracted to each other. We had planned on having lots of children,” she shares.
Then her whole world shattered when, one night at 11 p.m. there was a knock on her door. “I was watching TV and eating an ice cream sandwich…It was horrible. The fear was always there but there was hope it wouldn’t be yours,” Meara explains in a sad tone.
“He believed in his country. He was a dedicated person. He believed in what he was doing and believed in serving his country,” she says about her young war hero husband.
In the following days after that initial night time knock on the door, Meara describes the numerous conversations with army officials and the lack of details. She eventually learned Capt. Meara’s point man was hit and he tried to run out and save him and he was shot. But, unknowingly to Capt. Meara, the man he ran to save was already dead.
Because communication was slow, Meara says letters always arrived weeks after they were mailed. “I even got a letter after he died. That was hard.” Then she received a box containing her husband’s personal items, including his wedding ring. Capt. Meara is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
With undeniable pride, Meara says her husband earned a number of distinguished recognitions including the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Service Cross. She insists the Distinguished Service Cross is just under the Congressional Medal of Honor. Capt. Meara did not receive the medal of honor because that honor requires a number of eye witnesses, something Capt. Meara’s death was a little short of having.
For many years all the county’s school superintendent knew about her husband’s death was from sparse accounts by army officials and the official reason for death on his death certificate citing “killed by small arms fire.” She insists that she wouldn’t have survived the loss without the support of her family and her church. “Faith in God makes you realize we’re not done here. Knowing that helps you get through this.” She adds that it was a very devastating time. “Losing my husband, particularly young and totally dependent…all my dreams for the future and security. I got through it fine and have a great career. I don’t know how people get through (something like this) without God,” she admits.
Meara has stayed in contact with her in-laws throughout the years. “His family, (they) are wonderful people. After they moved to Florida, we’d go visit them.”
Being from a military family Capt. Meara’s father did some research and eventually learned more details. “Many families never find out more details,” she insists.
Then, two years ago, Meara tapped into Virtual Wall, a site on the Internet and she posted a statement honoring her war hero. As a result, the school administrator has heard from 10 fellow soldiers who served with him. “It was really nice. One even said he wanted to re-open the file to get him the Medal of Honor but all the records were destroyed in Vietnam,” Meara says, “But that’s OK. He thought enough of him to want to do it.”
With turmoil running deep within American these days concerning the current war, Meara considers how losing a husband in the Vietnam War has impacted her opinions today. “I’m still very patriotic. It’s probably made me more so. I suppose I’m old fashioned, that our country and president deserve our respect. I don’t like anti-war demonstrators. I may not always agree or (I may) privately debate issues, but we are a family, a country. Not that public dissent is wrong. Our country is based on free expression but we should support our country. We are like a family, we can disagree, but when it comes to the outside, we (should be) one united front.”
Meara adds that losing her husband, which left her almost 40 years ago with major life changes on the horizon, has not made her bitter. “It’s made me proud of him. He made the ultimate sacrifice. I’m sure he’s proud that he did that.” Meara shares while fighting back tears.
In 1968 Powhatan School Superintendent Margaret Meara’s life was very different than it is today. Yet, in that same year, her life was rocked, forever changing the path she was on.Meara was a young 20-year-old newlywed. She had moved back home with her parents while her husband, Capt. William Meara, was serving the country in Vietnam. He had been stationed on the Cambodian border for six months when his battalion got in some trouble from enemy lines. As detailed in For Garry Owen in Glory, written by Lt. Col. James Schild, information gathered from “Garry Owen Liberator,” the battalion newspaper, revealed that on Nov. 2, 1968, Company B commenced a reconnaissance mission about 32 miles west of Quan Loi. While completing the assignment, the second platoon came under extreme enemy fire. The platoon was cut off by North Vietnamese Regulars.
The article states, “The commanding officer of Company B, Captain William Meara, immediately turned the lead elements of his Company around in order to go to the aid of his besieged platoon…Deeply concerned about his stranded platoon, Captain Meara rose to his feet and personally led an assault on the first enemy bunker in their path. Disregarding the extremely heavy hostile fire, Captain Meara succeeded in knocking out the first bunker and killing two NVA. Again he rose to his feet and led another assault against the second bunker, killing one enemy soldier before he himself was mortally wounded…”
Meara’s outward appearance easily displays the pride and love she still feels for her heroic husband. Married only two short years, Meara says the two met on a ship taking them home from a military base in Germany. Her father was in the military and was stationed in Germany where Meara attended 10th through 12th grade and graduated high school. The young couple had a shipboard romance. Then they didn’t contact each other for a year. “Then he started writing letters and we got back together.”
Sitting in the conference room next to her office, Meara quietly uses adjectives like handsome, tall, blue eyes, dark hair, good-looking along with patriotic, conservative values, God and family to describe her hero. “We were both so attracted to each other. We had planned on having lots of children,” she shares.
Then her whole world shattered when, one night at 11 p.m. there was a knock on her door. “I was watching TV and eating an ice cream sandwich…It was horrible. The fear was always there but there was hope it wouldn’t be yours,” Meara explains in a sad tone.
“He believed in his country. He was a dedicated person. He believed in what he was doing and believed in serving his country,” she says about her young war hero husband.
In the following days after that initial night time knock on the door, Meara describes the numerous conversations with army officials and the lack of details. She eventually learned Capt. Meara’s point man was hit and he tried to run out and save him and he was shot. But, unknowingly to Capt. Meara, the man he ran to save was already dead.
Because communication was slow, Meara says letters always arrived weeks after they were mailed. “I even got a letter after he died. That was hard.” Then she received a box containing her husband’s personal items, including his wedding ring. Capt. Meara is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
With undeniable pride, Meara says her husband earned a number of distinguished recognitions including the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Service Cross. She insists the Distinguished Service Cross is just under the Congressional Medal of Honor. Capt. Meara did not receive the medal of honor because that honor requires a number of eye witnesses, something Capt. Meara’s death was a little short of having.
For many years all the county’s school superintendent knew about her husband’s death was from sparse accounts by army officials and the official reason for death on his death certificate citing “killed by small arms fire.” She insists that she wouldn’t have survived the loss without the support of her family and her church. “Faith in God makes you realize we’re not done here. Knowing that helps you get through this.” She adds that it was a very devastating time. “Losing my husband, particularly young and totally dependent…all my dreams for the future and security. I got through it fine and have a great career. I don’t know how people get through (something like this) without God,” she admits.
Meara has stayed in contact with her in-laws throughout the years. “His family, (they) are wonderful people. After they moved to Florida, we’d go visit them.”
Being from a military family Capt. Meara’s father did some research and eventually learned more details. “Many families never find out more details,” she insists.
Then, two years ago, Meara tapped into Virtual Wall, a site on the Internet and she posted a statement honoring her war hero. As a result, the school administrator has heard from 10 fellow soldiers who served with him. “It was really nice. One even said he wanted to re-open the file to get him the Medal of Honor but all the records were destroyed in Vietnam,” Meara says, “But that’s OK. He thought enough of him to want to do it.”
With turmoil running deep within American these days concerning the current war, Meara considers how losing a husband in the Vietnam War has impacted her opinions today. “I’m still very patriotic. It’s probably made me more so. I suppose I’m old fashioned, that our country and president deserve our respect. I don’t like anti-war demonstrators. I may not always agree or (I may) privately debate issues, but we are a family, a country. Not that public dissent is wrong. Our country is based on free expression but we should support our country. We are like a family, we can disagree, but when it comes to the outside, we (should be) one united front.”
Meara adds that losing her husband, which left her almost 40 years ago with major life changes on the horizon, has not made her bitter. “It’s made me proud of him. He made the ultimate sacrifice. I’m sure he’s proud that he did that.” Meara shares while fighting back tears.
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