Ruben Stillwater

Ruben Stillwater was born in Tacoma, Washington, the oldest son of a longshoreman and a schoolteacher. He was a gifted trumpet player, a fast runner, and the kind of kid who would give away his lunch to anyone who looked hungry. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1966, a few weeks after his high school graduation.

Ruben served with 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines in Vietnam. His letters home were full of jokes about the food and questions about his little brother's baseball season. He was promoted to Corporal in late 1967 and was known in his squad as the one who always checked on the new arrivals.

On February 14, 1968, during the fighting around Khe Sanh, Ruben's patrol came under fire and he was separated from his unit. He was listed as missing in action. Despite many searches over the years, he has never been recovered. His family has never stopped waiting for him, and his name is read aloud every year at the Tacoma remembrance ceremony.

This memorial keeps a place for Ruben. His younger brother, now a grandfather himself, still keeps Ruben's trumpet on the mantel. The family invites anyone who served with Ruben, or who simply wants to honor him, to share a memory here. He is not forgotten.