THE WALL OF FACES

DEAR PRIVATE ANDERSON,
I REALLY HOPE SOMEONE WILL PUT YOUR PHOTO HERE. A WALL OF FACES SHOULD HAVE ALL THE FACES. THANK YOU FOR BEING A WIRE SYSTEM INSTALLER. YOUR LOSS ON NEW YEAR'S EVE HURT MANY HEARTS.
REST IN PEACE.

In what was considered a racially charged incident, CID agent SP4 Leroy E. Halbert Jr. was shot and killed in So Chin, near Cam Ranh Bay Airbase, Khanh Hoa Province, RVN, while attempting to question several black soldiers for desertion and assault after they had reportedly drawn their weapons on an MP several days earlier and had cut another MP. SP4 Halbert and another CID agent, WO Ralph R. Wiest, both white, had gone to a village brothel in search of the soldiers who were known to frequent there. They arrived at the establishment to find it closed, and as they talked to the proprietor's daughter, the soldiers drove up. As the soldiers exited their truck one of them confronted the Wiest, jamming the barrel of his M-16 rifle in the agent's stomach and yelling that he was going to “blow his s--- way.” During the ensuing struggle over the rifle, Wiest was able to pull out his sidearm and shoot the suspect. During this time SP4 Halbert was engaged in a struggle with three other soldiers. SP4 Halbert was disarmed and two of the soldiers were pointing weapons at him. Wiest shot one of the soldiers just as the soldier shot SP4 Halbert in the head. A passing GI was flagged down and transported SP4 Halbert to a hospital, where he succumbed to his wound. The other agent also took one of the wounded suspects, PVT Larry J. Anderson, to the hospital, where he also died. [Taken from odmp.org and the book Fragging by George Lepre]

Dear PVT Larry James Anderson, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter

I will never forget that night. I signed out a truck load of you guys to go to Soo Chien to celebrate the New Year..some time later I signed back in the same truck & crew, minus you.
Gate Guard
542nd Sig. Co.
RVN 1970-1971

FOREVER REMEMBERED

"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you....and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.....Be not ashamed to say you loved them....
Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own....And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind...."

Quote from a letter home by Maj. Michael Davis O'Donnell
KIA 24 March 1970. Distinguished Flying Cross: Shot down and Killed while attempting to rescue 8 fellow soldiers surrounded by attacking enemy forces.

We Nam Brothers pause to give a backward glance, and post this remembrance to you, one of the gentle heroes lost to the War in Vietnam:

Slip off that pack. Set it down by the crooked trail. Drop your steel pot alongside. Shed those magazine-ladened bandoliers away from your sweat-soaked shirt. Lay that silent weapon down and step out of the heat. Feel the soothing cool breeze right down to your soul ... and rest forever in the shade of our love, brother.

From your Nam-Band-Of-Brothers