THE WALL OF FACES

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

I went to school with Sammy and have many schoolmate memories in Mr. Dell's math classes with him. He was two years ahead of me and was in the last graduating class (1963) of Anthony High School...a full 12-year small community school of about 325 total students. I rotated stateside from Pleiku in May of 1968 and learned of his death when I got home. Such a fine young man...it was so sad to lose him like that!

I was basic training at Fort Benning Georgia with Sam.
After Basic myself and Sam were assign to Fort Lee.
My Mom asked Sam to look after me, I was 18 and Sam was 3 years older than me. Mom thought the world of Sam , you could not help but like Sam. Sam knew I was engaged so we drove back to Georgia a lot of weekends so I could see her. We were in the same school for training however when we completed our first class Sam was selected for one class and I a different class. My class was one week longer than Sam's so Sam was sent to Vietnam a week ahead of me. I was in country several weeks before I learned of Sam's death. I have missed this great man and still think of him.

Dear Sp4 Isadore Geiger,
Thank you for your service as a Material Control & Accounting Specialist. Happy Thanksgiving. 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.

Early on May 5, 1968, several military installations at Da Nang, Quang Nam Province, RVN, were hit in a widespread rocket and mortar attack. This well-coordinated attack in which all targets were hit almost simultaneously was the first having cargo handling facilities in Da Nang as a primary target. At about 0130 hours, five 122mm rockets impacted near the bridge ramp. Two of them hit the forward main deck of the LST 822 which was anchored pierside, resulting in three killed, four missing, and 23 wounded. When accounting for the casualties was completed, a total of eight Army personnel were dead, including SP4 David G. Barnes, PFC Jesus E. Bautista, SGT Frederick Burge, SP4 Bernes Burris, SP4 Isadore S. Geiger Jr., PFC Santford B. Kempke, and PFC Nelson R. Ramirez. SP4 Billara Wolford’s remains were recovered and identified on August 10, 1968. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and bluewaternavy.org]