THE WALL OF FACES

Reading your final actions, we could use a Helluva lot more leaders like you.

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

PSG Omer G. Darty was an Armor Crewman serving with 2nd Platoon, C Troop, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division. The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry was an armored unit with tanks and mechanized infantry supported by air cavalry. The 1/4 was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division as its reconnaissance squadron based at Di An Base Camp northeast of Saigon. It was the first element of the 4th Cavalry Regiment to arrive in Vietnam in 1965. The squadron's main mission was to conduct route and convoy security patrols along National Highway QL-13, the main communications and supply route from the Saigon area north through Binh Doung and Binh Long Provinces. On December 10, 1965, Darty was leading a patrol on the dikes around C Troop’s base camp at Di An. He was in the lead tank when a wired electronic device was detonated underneath. Darty dismounted and located the wires that detonated the explosion. He followed them to a hole where a Viet Cong insurgent had been hiding. Two crewmen followed about 50 feet behind. Pulling the wires up, he saw the insurgent had booby-trapped them with a hand grenade. Darty yelled at the others to get down. An explosion occurred, Darty receiving the brunt of the blast. When the two troopers got to him, the mortally wounded Darty only asked if anyone else was hit. They responded no, and he reportedly uttered “Thank God,” closed his eyes, and died. He was memorialized two days later at C Troop’s bivouac area in Custer Flats, Phu Loi. The 25-minute service was conducted by an Army chaplain from the 23rd Artillery Group. Both Darty’s squadron commander and commanding officer attended in addition to a large number of men from his unit. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, first-team.us, and “Memorial Services Are Held.” The American Traveler (January 7, 1966), a publication of the 1st Infantry Division, Vietnam, at firstdivisionmuseum.nmtvault.com]

Taken from The American Traveler (January 7, 1966), a publication of the 1st Infantry Division, Vietnam, at firstdivisionmuseum.nmtvault.com.

You will forever remain in our hearts and prayers