HONORED ON PANEL 7W, LINE 26 OF THE WALL
JOHN LEE ERVIN
WALL NAME
JOHN L ERVIN
PANEL / LINE
7W/26
DATE OF BIRTH
CASUALTY PROVINCE
DATE OF CASUALTY
HOME OF RECORD
COUNTY OF RECORD
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BRANCH OF SERVICE
RANK
REMEMBRANCES
LEFT FOR JOHN LEE ERVIN
POSTED ON 7.7.2023
POSTED BY: Doc Bartlett
SHARED A FOXHOLE WITH JOHN
I was the Doc & John was the RTO. We shared a foxhole and also many, many close calls for six months. We were closer than brothers. LT Poland & SGT Hopkins shared the other foxhole that made up the 3rd PLT Command Post. It is too long a story to share here but I really should have died with John and for 53 years I have regretted that I did not.
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POSTED ON 6.15.2022
POSTED BY: John Fabris
honoring you...
Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. May you rest in eternal peace.
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POSTED ON 2.8.2022
POSTED BY: Mike Archer
John Ervin's final day, August 31, 1970.
The part of my story was accidently cut off on my first post.
I was supposed to cover Lonnie Martin and Tom Bean, very close friends of mine, as was Steve Kariginias. So we had four buddies with Delgato, who was new, Roger Scarborough, our new medic, but John was there because of his experience, and he was reliable.
I was supposed to cover Lonnie Martin and Tom Bean, very close friends of mine, as was Steve Kariginias. So we had four buddies with Delgato, who was new, Roger Scarborough, our new medic, but John was there because of his experience, and he was reliable.
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POSTED ON 2.8.2022
POSTED BY: Mike Archer
John Ervin's final day, August 31, 1970.
The mission and the traveling to the location seemed routine, other than the payday delay and the decision to travel across a booby-trapped area, which at the time wasn't that big of a deal, but it proved to be in hindsight. By the way, the time was around 5 pm, so we were fighting the darkness.
Delgato turned around and told me to go left, around the tree, so I did, relaying the message to Steve. No one knows if Steve relayed the message to John Ervin or not "to go left." I heard John say, "what's taking Tom so long," but no one replied because it's better to keep quiet for obvious reasons.
John's final words, "what's taking Tom so long?" Again, no one replied.
At this point, I heard what appeared to be the sound of the metal flange of a hand grenade when the pin was pulled and thrown. So I can only assume John Ervin hit a tripwire pulling a round pin of a hand grenade, igniting an explosion of a mortar round or artillery round. The communist soldiers would use our dud rounds as booby-traps.
I saw the scene with my own eyes. What is absolute, John Ervin went right, not left, around the tree. The explosion was devastating, killing John and Roger instantly, and nearly killing Steve, who was right behind me. To this day, I have no idea why or how I was spared severe injuries. Some things just can't be explained in combat. Delgato lost a part of his ear, but other than Tom & Lonnie, all of us were knocked off our feet like dominos. Dan Beard was not touched or phased; he came up to check on and comfort me.
Later in life, Lonnie Martin had some hearing loss and received disability payments; he is still alive. Tom Bean died in 2006 of cancer. Steve Kariginias is active, retired from the Post Office, and accepts disability payments and retirement pay. Dan Beard retired from General Motors in Indiana and lives in Indianapolis. I'm not sure what happened to Sgt. Delgato; I never saw him again; I heard many different rumors. As for me, Mike Archer, here I am typing this message.
I revisit that day John Ervin and Roger Scarborough was killed trying to rewrite history, but the ending is always the same. Thank You!
Respectfully, Mike Archer
Delgato turned around and told me to go left, around the tree, so I did, relaying the message to Steve. No one knows if Steve relayed the message to John Ervin or not "to go left." I heard John say, "what's taking Tom so long," but no one replied because it's better to keep quiet for obvious reasons.
John's final words, "what's taking Tom so long?" Again, no one replied.
At this point, I heard what appeared to be the sound of the metal flange of a hand grenade when the pin was pulled and thrown. So I can only assume John Ervin hit a tripwire pulling a round pin of a hand grenade, igniting an explosion of a mortar round or artillery round. The communist soldiers would use our dud rounds as booby-traps.
I saw the scene with my own eyes. What is absolute, John Ervin went right, not left, around the tree. The explosion was devastating, killing John and Roger instantly, and nearly killing Steve, who was right behind me. To this day, I have no idea why or how I was spared severe injuries. Some things just can't be explained in combat. Delgato lost a part of his ear, but other than Tom & Lonnie, all of us were knocked off our feet like dominos. Dan Beard was not touched or phased; he came up to check on and comfort me.
Later in life, Lonnie Martin had some hearing loss and received disability payments; he is still alive. Tom Bean died in 2006 of cancer. Steve Kariginias is active, retired from the Post Office, and accepts disability payments and retirement pay. Dan Beard retired from General Motors in Indiana and lives in Indianapolis. I'm not sure what happened to Sgt. Delgato; I never saw him again; I heard many different rumors. As for me, Mike Archer, here I am typing this message.
I revisit that day John Ervin and Roger Scarborough was killed trying to rewrite history, but the ending is always the same. Thank You!
Respectfully, Mike Archer
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POSTED ON 2.8.2022
POSTED BY: Mike Archer
John Ervin's final day, August 31, 1970.
Recently I received an email from a high school classmate of John Ervin, a KIA in Vietnam, on August 31, 1970. I told her I would write her a report about that day and what happened to her dear friend, John Ervin.
John Ervin was in a great mood, according to Lonnie Martin. The only thing John and I talked about before moving out was to keep our eyes on the enemy and to cover Tom and Lonnie. I asked John if his rifle was in working order, he said no problem. My rifle was ready to rock & roll.
Before August 31, 1970, John Ervin was Lt. Bill Poland's radio operator, but Bill was no longer our platoon's Lieutenant. So John joined our squad again where he was before Poland's RTO. I don't remember the new LT.'s name; he replaced John with his radioman, I don't know who.
John Ervin's final days, from my account, Mike Archer, 2/6/2022, we received an assignment on August 30, 1970; we had to go to a location to help support another operation. I don't remember the details because I did not complete it; I was in the medivac hospital. The problem arose that we were all out of money; we were paid little once a month, on the last day of each month.
Our company wanted to receive our pay for some reason, but I think because payday might have been delayed for a week or two, unacceptable because we were all broke. So on August 31, 1970, the Army flew the paymaster out to the field, and the process of paying delayed our departure time. As it turned out, this was the first mistake, and it got worse.
We would have had to go around the booby-trapped area for our platoon, which would have made us late. So we had a quick meeting and decided to cut across the booby-trapped region. The second mistake, but we all agree to do so, even John Ervin. The formation that entered the booby-trapped area was Tom Bean, Lonnie Martin, Mike Archer, new Sargent Delgato, Steve Kariginias, John Ervin, Roger Scarborough, Dan Beard. Still, I don't know who followed Beard. Our new Lieutenant was clueless, so he had no say. Dan Beard did not enter the area yet, as he told me much later.
Delgato pushed in front of me at the last minute, making my job more difficult. Tom told me not to let something like that happen again; I never did. I was anticipating a shootout that day, so I was focused!
I was supposed to cover Lonnie Martin and Tom Bean, very close friends of mine, as was Steve Kariginias. So we had four buddies with Delgato, who was new, Roger Scarborough, our new medic, but John was
John Ervin was in a great mood, according to Lonnie Martin. The only thing John and I talked about before moving out was to keep our eyes on the enemy and to cover Tom and Lonnie. I asked John if his rifle was in working order, he said no problem. My rifle was ready to rock & roll.
Before August 31, 1970, John Ervin was Lt. Bill Poland's radio operator, but Bill was no longer our platoon's Lieutenant. So John joined our squad again where he was before Poland's RTO. I don't remember the new LT.'s name; he replaced John with his radioman, I don't know who.
John Ervin's final days, from my account, Mike Archer, 2/6/2022, we received an assignment on August 30, 1970; we had to go to a location to help support another operation. I don't remember the details because I did not complete it; I was in the medivac hospital. The problem arose that we were all out of money; we were paid little once a month, on the last day of each month.
Our company wanted to receive our pay for some reason, but I think because payday might have been delayed for a week or two, unacceptable because we were all broke. So on August 31, 1970, the Army flew the paymaster out to the field, and the process of paying delayed our departure time. As it turned out, this was the first mistake, and it got worse.
We would have had to go around the booby-trapped area for our platoon, which would have made us late. So we had a quick meeting and decided to cut across the booby-trapped region. The second mistake, but we all agree to do so, even John Ervin. The formation that entered the booby-trapped area was Tom Bean, Lonnie Martin, Mike Archer, new Sargent Delgato, Steve Kariginias, John Ervin, Roger Scarborough, Dan Beard. Still, I don't know who followed Beard. Our new Lieutenant was clueless, so he had no say. Dan Beard did not enter the area yet, as he told me much later.
Delgato pushed in front of me at the last minute, making my job more difficult. Tom told me not to let something like that happen again; I never did. I was anticipating a shootout that day, so I was focused!
I was supposed to cover Lonnie Martin and Tom Bean, very close friends of mine, as was Steve Kariginias. So we had four buddies with Delgato, who was new, Roger Scarborough, our new medic, but John was
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