THE WALL OF FACES

Operation Robin (October 10-17, 1966) was a 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) operation to secure the movement of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division from its landing on the Cape St. Jacques peninsula at the port of Vung Tau to their new base camp at Bear Cat in Bien Hoa Province. The operation was one in a series of security missions that the 173rd performed for incoming units to Vietnam. On October 13th, the fourth day of the operation, a jeep from the Brigade S-5 Section (Civil Affairs) was hit by a command detonated Claymore mine on communal Route 357, seven kilometers (4.3 miles) southeast of Long Thanh city in Bien Hoa Province, RVN. Four occupants of the vehicle were killed. Allied forces accompanying the jeep returned fire on suspected enemy concealment positions with negative results. The lost U.S. personnel included Civil Affairs officers 1LT James E. Gardner and 1LT Emery G. Mikula, and photographer SP4 Darel L. Sills from the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion. The fourth fatality was believed to be a member of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Combat Operations After Action Report, Headquarters 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate) for Operation Robin, issued December 1966” at archive.org]

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Lt. Gardner I remember you fondly as my first and best platoon leader in 1966 you treated us well and looked out for your men as best you could. Sorry for your loss. Airborne always , B/2/503

Lt. Gardner I remember you fondly as my first and best platoon leader in 1966 you treated us well and looked out for your men as best you could. Sorry for your loss. Airborne always , B/2/503

Lt. Gardner I remember you fondly as my first and best platoon leader in 1966 you treated us well and looked out for your men as best you could. Sorry for your loss. Airborne always , B/2/503