Putting a face with a name: UW-Milwaukee students help make history complete

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Some University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students are helping make history. Their mission is to track down photos to go with veterans whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It's a nationwide project involving thousands of veterans -- and you could help.

"His last words were, 'Don't despair and tell my mom and dad I love him.' with that my son died," said Andrew Johnson.

The last moments of Lt. David Johnson's life still resonate with his father, Andrew. The younger Johnson died in Afghanistan back in 2012.

"After he was killed,  the Vietnam veterans in particular, the Patriot Guard, took such good care of our family," said Johnson. "I really took notice of that and learned the Vietnam veterans faces project and they needed help," said Johnson.

A 1973 fire destroyed six million military records -- many belonging to Vietnam veterans. Now, an education center is being built next to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The goal is to project the faces of all the 58,300 veterans on the wall.

"1,161 are from Wisconsin. About a year ago when I got involved in the project, we were missing about 450 of those pictures," said Johnson.

When Johnson recently met UW-Milwaukee lecturer Jessica McBride, she wanted to get her students involved.

"This gave the students an opportunity to do a project that was very positive. Secondly, I thought this was a  project that could teach the student core investigative skills," said McBride.

Justin Skubal helped track down photos. There are now just 18 missing photos in Wisconsin.

"I found one of my pictures like through an old Vietnam website where it was like a different military platoon that posted a picture of him," said Skubal.

It's a lesson way behind the classroom.

"A soldier never dies unless he is forgotten. So we must remember our soldiers," said Johnson.

Below are the remaining names on the list -- names which have no pictures associated with them. If you have any pictures you believe are associated with the names below, you are encouraged to email Jessica McBride at:  jessicamcbride05@live.com