THE WALL OF FACES

Petty Officer Second Class Richard Charles Archer, Served aboard the USS Mansfield, Task Force 77 (TF-77), 7th Fleet.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will never truly die...

Met Charles Archer MM3 in 1965 when I was stationed on the USS Mansfield DD 728 in the After Engine Room. He was given the task of making me a great Machinist Mate (MM). He made 2nd and got married before he was killed during one of our operations. He was a friend and collogue during our time together. Met his Boy Scout Leader who had the upmost kindest words of Charles as we visited his grave site in MA. I was 17 when we met and 19 when he died, will always remember my friend and co worker and the lessons he taught me. Fair Winds and Following Seas to All.

Our nation owes a debt to it's fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.

MM2 Richard C. Archer was a machinist serving aboard the destroyer USS Mansfield (DD-728). The Mansfield spent the latter part of 1966 off the Vietnamese coast in roles which ranged from blockade patrol in the I Corps area and the interdiction of junk and sampan traffic from the north into South Vietnam, to gunfire support south of Saigon. Adding air-sea rescue to her services in 1967, she continued to carry out similar missions in support of Allied operations in Vietnam. On September 25, 1967, the Mansfield was hit by North Vietnam shore battery off Tiger Island, north of the DMZ. MM2 Archer was fatally injured in the attack and 19 others were wounded. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and wikipedia.org]