THE WALL OF FACES

SGT Ronald E. Forget was a Radio Operator serving with Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC), 3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Forget worked in the 3/8th Tactical Operations Center at Dak To coordinating daily infantry and artillery operations. In early June 1968, Forget travelled to Pleiku. On June 8, 1968, he checked in with the 4th Aviation Battalion Pathfinder Detachment at Pleiku Heliport to organize transportation back to his unit. The Pathfinder put him on a helicopter to Kontum instead of Dak To. When Forget arrived at Kontum, he was presented with the option of waiting until the next day to catch the next flight to Dak To; instead, Forget opted to hitch a ride with a convoy to Dak To that afternoon. While enroute, the convoy was ambushed on National Route QL-14, nine miles north of Kontum city in Kontum Province, RVN. During the ensuing firefight, Forget was fatally wounded in the head. Two other 4th Infantry Division personnel were killed in the ambush: SP4 Arturo S. Rodriguez, a communications specialist from C Company, 124th Signal Battalion; and mechanic PFC James O. Ashton from C Battery, 5th Battalion, 16th Artillery. Ashton had only been in Vietnam three weeks at the time of his death. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Ray Lussier (November 1998) at members.tripod.com]

Private First Class James O'dell Ashton, Served with Battery C, 5th Battalion, 16th Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. It saddens me so few have posted remembrances for you...surely you deserve better. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us.

DEAR PFC ASTON,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN ARMY GENERAL VEHICLE REPAIRMAN, REST IN PEACE.

Dear PFC James Odell Ashton, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, Sir

Curt Carter