THE WALL OF FACES

Operations El Paso and El Paso II (May 19 - July 13, 1966) were conducted by the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division in Binh Long Province, RVN. In April 1966, prisoner interrogations revealed that the Viet Cong (VC) 271st and 273rd Regiments were planning a major offensive near Loc Ninh. On June 11th, Company A, 2/28th Infantry, patrolling northwest of Loc Ninh with a platoon of CIDG indigenous soldiers, was engaged by the VC 1st Battalion, 273rd Regiment, located on two adjacent hills, Hill 150 and Hill 177. As the battle developed, Company C, 2/28th Infantry, was deployed as reinforcements, and following air and artillery strikes, assaults were launched on the hills. At 2:30 PM, Company C and the battalion's reconnaissance platoon assaulted Hill 177 from the south and west but were pushed back by a VC counterattack. The reconnaissance platoon retreated to a position in a trench covered by a VC machine gun and lost seventeen killed. Despite this, by 4:15 PM, the VC were forced from the hill and withdrew northwest, harassed by air and artillery strikes. On Hill 150, Company A made two assaults, both of which were repulsed. Company B then joined the fight, and by 4:30 PM, had forced the VC from the hill where they were ambushed by a waiting CIDG Company. U.S. losses were thirty-four killed. The lost personnel included: (A/2/28) SP4 Henry Burch, SGT John E. Miller, and PFC Roy S. Pitt; (B/2/28) SP4 Charles H. Shelton; (C/2/28) SP4 Dennis E. Brown, PFC David G. Bryan, SP4 Willie Cole Jr., PFC Michael A. Garris, SP4 Donel R. Johnson, PFC Jerry W. Looney, PFC Herman R. Meneely, PFC Tim A. Noe, PFC Clae T. Norman, SSG James W. Phair, PFC Harvey J. Profitt, PFC Ronald Richards, and SSG Franz X. Wallner; (Recon Platoon) SP4 Kenneth A. Babb, PFC Dannie G. Braswell, PFC Ronald J. Brissette, PFC Thomas S. Cameron, PFC Thomas W. Chatburn III, SSG Ernest L. Duran, SGT Grady L. Elder, PFC Charles E. Ford, PFC James E. Hill, PFC Louis A. Jefferson, SSG Glen D. Lofton, PFC Richard A. Mitchell, PFC Jack R. Price, PFC Jessie E. Shannon, PFC Michael T. Sukara, PFC John R. Thompson, and PFC J.C. Williams. PFC Noe was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal. VC losses were 98 by body count with subsequent intelligence indicating that half the VC 1st Battalion had been killed. [Taken from virtualwall.org and “Stemming the Tide” by John M. Carland]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your classmate Brenda Davis is touching. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever.

Kenneth, you will always be remembered by you classmates at Cypress Elementary and Whaleyville High School, it was such a shock to here the news of your death. It was an honor to have known you. You were a true hero!!

Kenneth, you will always be remembered by you classmates at Cypress Elementary and Whaleyville High School, it was such a shock to here the news of your death. It was an honor to have known you. You were a true hero!!

Specialist Four Kenneth A. Babb was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his conspicuous gallantry in action. He served as a Medical NCO (Combat Medic) and was assigned to Recon Platoon, Hq & Hq Co, 2nd Bn, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Div.
See https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=38855
See also http://www.coffeltdatabase.org/detreq2.php