THE WALL OF FACES

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

As long as you are remembered you will always be with us...

My mother and I drove back to Camp Pendleton after boot leave and stopped by Eddie’s home on Prospect St. in El Paso but he had already left. We spent some time with his mother who spoke no English, and we didn’t speak Spanish. It was a great visit.

Corporal Eduardo Ayala, Served with the Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Third Marine Amphibious Force.

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]

Eduardo Ayala
ON THE WALL: Panel 12E Line 58
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PERSONAL DATA:
Home of Record: El Paso, TX
Date of birth: 10/17/1946
MILITARY DATA:
Service Branch: United States Marine Corps
Grade at loss: E4
Rank: Corporal
Promotion Note: None
ID No: 2125511
MOS: 0351: ANTITANK ASSAULTMAN
Length Service: 01
Unit: H&S CO, 3RD BN, 1ST MARINES, 1ST MARDIV, III MAF
CASUALTY DATA:
Start Tour: Not Recorded
Incident Date: 11/12/1966
Casualty Date: 11/12/1966
Status Date: Not Applicable
Status Change: Not Applicable
Age at Loss: 20
Location: Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Repatriated: Not Applicable
Identified: Not Applicable
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Ground casualty
Casualty Detail: Multiple fragmentation wounds
URL: www.VirtualWall.org/da/AyalaEx01a.htm
Data accessed: 1/18/2018