THE WALL OF FACES

Operation Sioux City (September 26 - October 9, 1966) was 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team search and destroy operation to locate and destroy Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army forces and installations northwest of Xom Cat in Bien Hoa Province, RVN. The operational area contained a high level of VC activity with the 800 Dong Nai VC Battalion, the 303rd Liberation Front Battalion, and several transient VC units believed to be operating in the area. On the first two days of the operation, combat assaults conducted by brigade units of the 503rd Infantry Regiment secured predetermined positions in the operations area. Once established on the ground, the troopers conducted local patrols and ambushes to secure their positions. Meanwhile, armored units secured local roads and engineer units swept them for mines. On the twelfth day of the operation (October 7th), Sky Troopers from E/17th Cavalry Regiment were providing security for a 173rd Engineer Company work party on Route Blue in the operational area. Around mid-morning, a five-ton dump truck hit an anti-tank mine injuring two engineers and severely damaging the truck. Later that afternoon, the engineers located a homemade VC mine on interprovincial route LTL-16, nine kilometers (5.5 miles) northwest of Tan Uyen. While attempting to disable the mine, it exploded. The blast killed three and wounded two. Lost were engineers PFC John F. Dalola III and PFC Frank M. Sokolowski and infantryman PFC David W. Branch. [Sourced at coffeltdatabase.org and “Operational Report - Lessons Learned, Combat After Action Report, Operation Sioux City (18 April 1967)” at archive.com]

Every Memorial Day I think of you and how I never met you and only knew you because a street had your name on it. I later learned you were the first killed from Neshaminy in service to your country.

Every Memorial Day I will honor you to the day we meet and I will salute you and shake your hand

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from Ed Preston is touching. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us.

We played football together. You were the toughest tackle I ever attempted. You always laughed when I succeeded. I still remember.

I remember so well the happy times we had in Feasterville. You made us smile. I was, and am, so proud to have known you. Rest In Peace, my young friend.
Meg