THE WALL OF FACES

Lance Corporal Dennis Howard Fairfield, Served with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. Third Marine Amphibious Force.

May those who served never be forgotten. Rest in peace LCPL. Fairfield, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family. Semper Fidelis!

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.

On May 18, 1967, the U.S. Marines began Operation Hickory with the intention of removing enemy forces and installations from the southern half of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Vietnam. This was the first time the Marines had ventured into the DMZ in force. The attack was supported by a massive Navy-Marine-Air Force effort, the landing of Seventh Fleet Special Landing Forces (SLF) Alpha, and a parallel sweep by the 1st Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Division. Hickory lasted through May 29th and resulted in both the loss of 129 Americans and the utter destruction of many North Vietnamese Army installations within the eastern part of the Demilitarized Zone. Extremely heavy casualties were inflicted on the North Vietnamese Army’s (NVA) 326B Division, which held their ground and defended the area with vigor. No effort was made to hold the areas of the DMZ which had been cleared of the NVA. Political pressures precluded an American presence in the DMZ and the rebuilt 362B Division eventually returned to the area. Early in the morning of the second day of the operation, two Marines were killed in a friendly-fire incident near Gia Binh when prep fires preceding an attack on enemy positions hit the location of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. The lost personnel included LCPL Dennis H. Fairfield and LCPL Joe P. Wooden Jr. Two other Marines were wounded in the mishap. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and virtualwall.org]

I so often think of you Denny from the times you and your brother would hang out at our farm. So many great memories of you. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. You will never be forgotten brother as you died while I was serving in Vietnam. Rest In Peace