THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Lt William Fitzgerald,
Thank you for your service as an Unrestricted Line Officer (Surface Warface). Yesterday was the 17th anniversary of 9/11, and we remember you 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.

William Charles Fitzgerald

Navy Cross
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING Vietnam War
Service: Navy
GENERAL ORDERS:
Authority: Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant William Charles Fitzgerald (NSN: 0-669041), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism on 7 August 1967 while serving as Senior Advisor to Vietnamese Navy Coastal Group SIXTEEN in connection with combat operations against the communist insurgents (Viet Cong) in the Republic of Vietnam. When Coastal Group 16 was taken under a coordinated attack by numerically superior Viet Cong forces, Lieutenant Fitzgerald immediately established communications with the Vietnamese Navy commanding officer, and attempted to coordinate assistance with free-world forces in the area. The enemy fire soon became too intense for the outnumbered base defense force to resist successfully and the Viet Cong completely overran the base. Aware that his bunker was the only remaining source of resistance, Lieutenant Fitzgerald requested an artillery barrage to be laid down on his own position and ordered his men to evacuate the base toward the river. He gallantly remained in the command bunker in order to provide cover fire for the evacuating personnel. Before Lieutenant Fitzgerald could carry out his own escape, he was fatally shot by the Viet Cong aggressors. By his fearless dedication to duty, courage under fire, and heroic actions in defense of the base, despite overwhelming odds, Lieutenant Fitzgerald served as an inspiration to all persons engaged in the counterinsurgency effort in Vietnam and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

On the morning of August 7, 1967, in the darkness of the pre-dawn hours, an enemy force of one to two battalions assaulted the Coastal Group 16 base, 70 miles southeast of Da Nang. The base, which lies adjacent to the village of Co Luy near the mouth of the Tra Khuc River, was initially struck by an intensive mortar barrage that began just before 0300. The Coastal Group's US advisors—LT William C. Fitzgerald, USN, Lieutenant Junior Grade Anthony Williams, USNR, Chief Engineman Harold H. Guinn, USN, and Boatswain's Mate First Class Leo E. Pearman, USN—immediately radioed for help and provided direct assistance as base personnel tried to check the enemy's movements amid a heavy exchange of small-arms fire. A U.S. Navy Swiftboat on patrol nearby, PCF 20, intercepted the distress call, relayed the message to other Market Time units in the area and headed toward the base, arriving about 3:15 AM. Upon arrival, at LT Fitzgerald's request, the Swiftboat began firing on enemy mortar and automatic weapons sites emplaced on the other side of the river, directly across from the beleaguered base. By 3:30 AM, the overwhelming enemy force had penetrated the base's northern mine field defenses and numerous Vietnamese Navy personnel were already dead, including the Coastal Group commander, Lieutenant Junior Grade Nguyen N. Thong. Then, as an advance contingent (approximately 300 in number) of the invaders broke through and began overrunning the central sections of the base, LT Fitzgerald and his assistants moved to their bunker and continued to fire on the enemy troops. At 3:40 AM, PCF 75 reached the scene to lend additional fire support and, five minutes later, the Vietnamese Navy's PCE 10 arrived and began firing on the Viet Cong positions with spotting assistance from Coastal Group personnel embarked on the junks in the river. By 3:45 AM, however, the base was in virtual enemy possession and communications with the base had deteriorated. At this time, realizing that the advisors' bunker was probably the sole remaining source of resistance within the base complex, LT Fitzgerald requested an artillery strike on his position and ordered his men to escape to the river. As the men left the bunker, LT Fitzgerald remained behind, providing covering fire for their movements. When LT Fitzgerald reached the bunker's exit, he was fatally struck in the back of the head by a round of small arms fire. The remaining advisors subsequently reached the river successfully but not before LTJG Williams was hit in the face and chest by shrapnel; about an hour later he was picked up by a fisherman, transferred to a Swift boat and eventually evacuated to the U.S. Army hospital at Qui Nhon. Meanwhile, the other two advisors were rescued by Coastal Group junk and, after treatment for minor wounds, returned to the base and made their way back to the bunker where, about 4:30 AM, they found the body of LT Fitzgerald. By this time a number of other units were in the area, including the destroyer USS Camp (DER 251), PCFs 15 and 54, and a U.S. Air Force C-47 "Dragon Ship." With Camp acting as on-scene commander, the units provided counter-fire support, exfiltration patrols and evacuation assistance. The Swift boats evacuated approximately 40 Vietnamese to Camp, fifteen of whom were subsequently flown by helicopter to the Vietnamese hospital at Quang Ngai. At 7:00 AM, two infantry companies of the ARVN Second Division and a company of U.S. troops from Task Force Oregon reached the battered Coastal Group base and launched a counter attack against the Viet Cong units, forcing them to retreat. By 7:30 AM, the Allied contingent had regained control of the base. Besides the Coastal Group commander, 13 Vietnamese sailors were killed during the attack and 35 were wounded. In addition, 20 civilians, most of them military dependents, were killed or wounded. At the same time 11 Viet Cong invaders were killed, and 35 Viet Cong suspects who had been in a detention status had escaped; three other detainees were killed. All but one of the buildings comprising the base complex were destroyed or damaged. By mid-morning the base was re-manned by remaining Coastal Group 16 personnel, augmented by 30 men from Coastal Group 15 and a company-size security unit of Regional Force troops. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and swiftboats.net]

Reading about your selflessness and courage/bravery at Face Book under fire was astonishing! So it's been fifty (50) years since then? Where does the time go? I am honored to thank you for your service and sacrifice! I've said it before on other remembrance walls and I'll keep saying it: You will NEVER be forgotten, Lieutenant Fitzgerald!

USS FITZGERALD ( DDG-62 )

SEVERELY DAMAGED IN COLLISION WITH

CONTAINER SHIP ON 17 JUNE 2017


THE SHIP IS NAMED FOR


LIEUTENANT

WILLIAM CHARLES FITZGERALD


WHO SERVED WITH DISTINCTION IN


16th REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM COASTAL GROUP

NAVAL ADVISORY GROUP

USNAVFORV


http://www.virtualwall.org/df/FitzgeraldWC01a.htm

http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/16310/WILLIAM-C-FITZGERALD

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Fitzgerald

http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/ddg62/Pages/default.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/FightnFITZ/

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40310563

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/uss-fitzgerald-sailors-missing-collision-japan/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/16/us-navy-destroyer-collides-ship-japan

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4612334/USS-Fitzgerald-involved-collision-merchant-vessel.html


The USS FITZGERALD (DDG-62) and Fitzgerald Hall at the Surface Warfare Officers School Command in Newport, Rhode Island, are named in honor of Lieutenant William Charles Fitzgerald.




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