THE WALL OF FACES

It's been over 50+ years since that terrible night at FB Barbara and I still carry the survivors guilt. From AIT at Fort Sill to Vietnam we were always brothers n will remain so forever. I miss you and Paul and think about you both every day.

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

Fire Support Base (FSB) Barbara was a forward firebase located in the forested foothills of the Annamite Mountains 17 miles south of Quang Tri City in Quang Tri Province, RVN. In the spring of 1970, A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 94th Artillery operated two M107 175mm self-propelled guns at Barbara. Mechanical problems were a constant problem with the guns of A Battery, and in early May, Gun #4 was scheduled to go to Camp Evans for a service overhaul. On April 29th, a week before its planned maintenance, the gun was called on to provide an early-morning fire support mission. The first two rounds were fired without incident. When the third round was fired, the gun backfired, blowing the 1750 lb. breechblock door off its hinges. The open chamber released its burning propellant gases igniting the gun’s oil and fuel reservoirs. Gunner SP4 Paul J. Kosanke was fatally burned when engulfed in a ball of flames. His body was pulled clear of the inferno by two brave cannoneers. Another gun crewman, SP4 Willie Austin Jr., was standing behind the breech door when it exploded. The flying mass of steel severed his legs below the hip and threw his torso 60 feet in the air. He was barely alive when found by a medic. Unable to stem the blood loss, Austin expired shortly after. Later that day, the battalion surgeon flew to the firebase to inventory the personal effects of both men for shipment home. Each received the Bronze Star medal for merit and a Purple Heart. Kosanke was posthumously promoted to Sergeant. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by William N. Cooper (May 2023)]

I was reading a book "Along the Edge of America" by Peter Jenkins. The author talked with a fisherman from Florida that served with Willie. The fisherman talked about his pain and how much it hurt when Willie, his friend, was killed. So I decided to look up the name and here I am. RIP.

You will forever remain in our hearts and prayers