THE WALL OF FACES

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.

At 10:13 PM on November 3, 1967, a 4th Infantry Division firebase in Darlac Province, RVN, manned by Company C, 1st Battalion, 22d Infantry, came under a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) mortar barrage followed by a ground attack. The base perimeter was probed from three sides, and by 10:55 PM, the attack had become so intense that the unit had to lower their howitzers tubes to direct fire angles to keep their perimeter intact. The attack lasted until 1:30 AM when the enemy withdrew. A dawn sweep outside the base resulted in twenty-four NVA bodies and one prisoner of war. Friendly losses from the encounter were one U.S. killed, SP5 Gary L. Hensley from D Battery, 5th Battalion, 16th Artillery, and eighteen wounded. A 4th Aviation Battalion gunship flying in support of the contact crashed and burned with the loss of all crew members. The aircraft, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C (tail number 66-00538), was making a gun run supporting the ground unit being overrun when the ship came under heavy fire. The helicopter, possibly damaged from the ground fire, flew into trees and exploded. Personnel in a wing gunship overheard aircraft commander 1LT James E. Pavlicek Jr. scream “Pull out!” two and a half times before they hit. Witnesses in the supporting gunship reported that the crash may have been caused by either target-fixation or enemy fire. Despite being a hazy night, the visibility in the area was reported to be good at the time. Ground troops located the crash site the following day. The lost crewmen included Pavlicek, co-pilot WO1 David E. Thomas, crew chief SP4 James E. Anderson, and gunner SP4 Randall W. Ernsberger. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and “Lessons Learned, 4th Infantry Division, Period ending 31 January 1968” at cacti35th.com]

I replaced Randy at 4th Aviation. It was not how I wanted that job. I never knew him but I felt him. God Bless.

Specialist Four Randall Wayne Ernsberger, Served with Company B, 4th Aviation Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

Dear Sp4 Randall Ernsberger,
Thank you for your service as a Procurement Sergeant. We remember all you who gave their all. It has been too long, and it's about time for us all to acknowledge the sacrifices of those like you who answered our nation's call. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.