THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you SSGT Robert Leo Babula for serving your country with pride, honor and courage.

While I am a Canadian and have no direct experience of the Vietnam War, a cousin of mine from Cleveland, Ohio, served as a sergeant (and rifle squad leader) in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and experienced combat during his tour of duty in 1968 - 1969. He was fortunate to come home alive to his family.

After reading your story, I wish from the bottom of my heart that you and your fellow Marine fire team members had also come home to your families.

I want to thank you again for serving your country, and I will always pray for you and your fellow Marines.

May God bless you and your family today and always!!

Thomas Mauser
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I'm the daughter of a now 85 YO retired Marine. I was a teenager while he was serving his second tour over there. I had always felt like the young Marines my dad commanded were like brothers. My sibs and I knew that he cared about his men as much as he did about us. I'm sure that the disappearance of you and your comrades is something your CO has never forgotten about, for a single day.

For your family, I can't imagine the pain of not knowing whether you were dead, or what was being done to you, if you were still alive. I buried a son 5 years ago, and it's painful, but I think not knowing what happened, or whether he was dead or alive, would be ten times worse!

God Bless!

I hope that you are in some happy place, now, and that your family has found some peace, even though they will grieve for as long as they live. I wish there was more that I could say!

PFC Robert L. Babula, PFC Robert C. Borton Jr., PFC John E. Bodenschatz Jr., and PFC Dennis R. Carter were members of 1st Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. On 28 August 1966, the four were assigned as a fire team ambush with instructions to establish an ambush site approximately 500 meters to the south of their platoon patrol base. This specific location is in Hoa Hai village within grid square BT 0667. The fire team departed at 3:00 a.m. on August 28, and were given instructions for use of the pyrotechnics they were carrying as signaling devices. They were further instructed to relocate in the same general area or return to their platoon patrol base in the event their ambush site was compromised, and finally to return no later than 9:00 a.m. that morning. When the fire team failed to return as scheduled, an immediate search of the area was conducted by Company K with negative results. During the period of August 29-31, the Battalion made a dovetailed search of the entire area covering all possible routes of egress in the event the team members had been captured. Indigenous personnel in the area were questioned, but no evidence was uncovered which gave any clues. Villagers were questioned and a search of the area continued. On September 4, Company K discovered part of an American wrist watch and PFC Bodenschatz' two identification tags in the vicinity of BT 061673. The search was intensified in that area, including the use of heavy engineer equipment in an effort to locate graves, but no further trace was found. On September 13, the Battalion cordoned off grid squares BT 0567, 0667, 0566, 0666 and all inhabitants were assembled, screened, and interrogated by an ARVN interrogation team from Hoa Vang District Headquarters. Three Viet Cong suspects were retained for further questioning, however, no additional information was obtained concerning the four Marines. The Battalion commander's final determination was that the four Marines were probably captured. In 1975, information was declassified that indicated that since the fire team's disappearance, Marine headquarters had received two reports sighting three to four Americans being displayed in villages south of the area in which the fire team disappeared. A Christmas card received by Company K/3/1 1st Marine Division, sent by Babula's mother and sister, stated that they had recently received news that Babula was a prisoner of war. None of the four, however, returned in the general prisoner release in 1973. [Taken from pownetwork.org]

I have wore your mia braclet for 25 years.I never take it off ever. still hope you would come home.

We went to school together. You were a good friend to me. I pray for you.