Military

Deborah Powell French, the former wife of a Vietnam War veteran who is buried at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, tells a sad story that is all too familiar to veterans.

James L. Kring knew how to pluck a string bass, crash-and-twirl cymbals and bend notes on a trombone. As a corporal in the 1st Marine Division band, he also knew how to shoot an assault rifle, fire a grenade launcher and defend himself in hand-to-hand combat.

The roar of more than 1,000 motorcycles drowned out the sorrowful sounds of taps on Sunday during a special and somber ceremony by Nevada’s Green Berets at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

His family doesn’t know whether he died in uniform from injury or illness, or from an unexplained incident in France at the end of World War II. But one thing is certain: Roman G. Padilla risked his life for his country and died for it too.

With their parachutes billowed and buffeted by strong winds, they dropped through the sky from dozens of Hercules planes following a string of behemoth C-17 Globemaster jets that unleashed heavy cargo minutes before.