THE WALL OF FACES

You will forever remain in our hearts and prayers

On the remembrance of your 77th birthday, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Semper Fi, Doc

On November 12, 1966, a reinforced platoon of Marines from I Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, were settled into night positions around the hamlet of An Trach (1), two miles north of Hill 55 in Quang Nam Province, RVN. Fourteen bunkers ringed the small village, each one with a Marine on alert while the others slept. An Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) platoon assisted the Marines in defending An Trach (1). Around midnight, an ambush patrol of 10-12 Marines returned in the pouring rain, bringing the total number of Marines and ARVN in the village to around 80. An Trach (1) was considered to be in a passive area where a measure of loyalty had been gained from the peasants through security, economic, and social programs provided by the Americans. However, at approximately 1:30 AM, some 35-50 Viet Cong were able to infiltrate the hamlet through the northeast portion of the perimeter. They wore only shorts and many had baskets tied to their sides to hold explosive charges. They used these to attack the Marine positions, lobbing grenades, satchel charges, and C4 charges into the bunkers. Fourteen Marines and one Navy corpsman were killed in the attack. Another twenty-eight U.S. personnel were wounded. The Marines were able to kill three of their attackers (confirmed by body count) and reported another seven probable killed. The lost Marines were PFC Daniel Acosta, PFC Roy G. Alvis, CPL Eduardo Ayala, LCPL Thomas E. Birdsall, PFC Ted D. Broomfield, LCPL James P. Brown, PFC Roger J. Bryant, LCPL Larry D. DeFilippis, LCPL John A. McGrath, LCPL Charles E. Meek, PFC David H. Paulsen, CPL Raymond L. Powell, LCPL Alan H. Shields, and CPL Daniel D. Yarnell; the lost Navyman was HM3 Manuel Avila Jr. The dead were collected and carried in ponchos on wooden stretchers and placed on the porch of the church in the center of the hamlet. The wounded were carried by truck to NSA Hospital in Da Nang. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Jerry E. Brown (September 2019); also from “Marine Platoon Hit Hard.” Pacific Stars & Stripes, November 15, 1966, and the book “The Huts” by William E. Dowell]

I was stationed with Manuel at Long Beach Naval station on the Hospital ship
Uss Haven. I volunteered to serve with the Marines in Vietnam. I landed in Vietnam may 8 1966 and was assigned to K co 3rd platoon 3/1 Marines.
Most of the Corpsmen in 3/1 had Purple Hearts. I was shot on a patrol late July 1966 and spent some time in the hospital in Danang. When was was sent back to 3/1 Marines with 2 months light duty. It was at that time that I saw Manuels name on the assignment board on the wall of the Battalion aid station. I wasn't sure if it was my old friend so I pulled his service record and saw the last duty station was the Haven. That's when I knew was my old friend. In my mind I plan to go out to India Company for where he was assigned to see him, however during the next week India Company was been overrun. I was told that during the battle he was severely injured during the mortar Attack India Company had endured prior to the Vietcong finally over running the position. I was told during the battle Manuel had crawled around attending to injured Marines unfortunately when the Vietcong finally overran the position they killed him. In the month following I heard that possibly he would be put up for the Congressional medal of honor, however I don't believe he ever got it. I Will always remember a soft-spoken nice guy who was a hero to the Marines Who he served with.

DEAR PETTY OFFICER AVILA,
THANKS FOR BEING A HOSPITAL CORPSMAN AND THE LIVES OF THE MARINES YOU SAVED. SEMPER FI. WE ARE CELEBRATING COLUMBUS DAY, AND THE DISCOVERY THAT LED TO US BEING IN AMERICA. THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING AMERICA. REST IN PEACE.