THE WALL OF FACES

On April 1, 1966, Viet Cong terrorists bombed the Victoria Hotel in the Cholon District of Saigon, Gia Dinh Province, RVN. The location of a U.S. military Bachelors Officers Quarters (BOQ), the terrorists used a delivery truck carrying an estimated 400-500 lbs. of explosives which rocked the Victoria at 5:10 AM. Four Americans were killed and 113 were injured. The explosion also killed five Vietnamese nationals and wounded 12 more. The hotel was heavily damaged with adjacent businesses and apartments sustaining collapsed walls and broken windows. The truck carrying the bomb pulled to within 15 feet of the front door of the hotel where U.S. and Vietnamese police engaged another vehicle full of VC gunmen. Two American MP’s and two Vietnamese police died in the gun battle. Another MP, PFC Patrick J. Brems, and a Vietnamese guard at the front of the billets died in the explosion. Brems was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for bravely engaging the VC before he was killed. A BOQ resident inside the Victoria, Quartermaster Supply officer CPT David M. Davies, died from injuries sustained in the explosion. Witnesses reported hearing shotgun, machine gun, and pistol fire before the blast. The terrorists also tossed several grenades. There apparently were only two VC vehicles involved in the bombing, one containing gunmen and the second holding the explosive charge. The first car opened fire on the two hotel guards and then shot up an MP jeep that arrived on the scene immediately after the attack began. The MP officer in the jeep, 1LT Chester L. Lee, and his driver, SP4 Michael T. Mulvaney, were killed by the VC fire. Mulvaney was engaging the enemy with his .45 pistol when hit in the face. He died instantly. Lee was wounded twice in his right leg and the chest; he died a short time later at the nearby U.S. Army’s 17th Field Hospital. Both MP’s were awarded the Silver Star for bravery. Lee received a posthumous promotion to Captain. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Police Question VC on on (sic) Bombing of BOQ.” Pacific Stars & Stripes, April 3, 1966]

My name is Dwight Nelson and I will be speaking at the S. Congregational Church, Braintree, Ma on 28 May, 2023 to Honor Cpt Davies along with Cpt Chester Lee, SP4 Michael Mulvaney and PFC Patrick Brems who were the three MP's also lost on 1 & 2 April, 1966 at the Victoria Hotel. I have selected these four to represent the 1,354,664 servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice since 1775. We have a soldier, Jim MacDonald who served in Vietnam with the 3 MP's who were KIA, who attends our Church. In Vietnam. Jim and PFC PFC Brems were roommates in Vietnam. We Remember our Hero's. I would love to hear from the Davies family. I can be reached at [email protected] or at (781)308-1052.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from Jim Harrison is moving. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever…..

Captain David Marshall Davies, Served with the 506th United States Army Field Depot, 1st Logistical Command, United States Army Vietnam.

There are two radio documentaries about my father, both released in 2020 and aired on BBC Radio 4 in the UK:
http://www.fallingtree.co.uk/archive/lights-out-the-saigon-tapes/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08r53hh
Enjoy.