THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us...

New Jimmy at Leuzinger high school. So sad to hear of his sacrifice.

Private First Class Jimmy Dever Baccus, Served with Company B, 3rd Anti-Tank Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, Third Marine Amphibious Force.

DEAR PFC BACCUS,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN ONTOS CREWMAN. SEMPER FI. I HATE THAT YOU DIED IN THE SAME MONTH AS YOUR BIRTH. PEOPLE ARE DECORATING AND PREPARING FOR HALLOWEEN. IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU WE CAN. REST IN PEACE.

Marine Wing Support Group 17 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (MCAS Iwakuni), Japan, had been directed to provide fixed-wing transport services to the 1st Marine Air Wing in Vietnam. To that end, Marine Air Base Squadron 17 was sent to Da Nang, RVN, with two C-117Ds, two US-2Bs, and one C-45 aircraft. On July 25, 1966, a C-117D (BuNo 17211) was on a routine transport flight when it stalled and crashed shortly after takeoff from Da Nang, killing eight of the 31 persons aboard and injuring most of the rest. The dead included pilot LTC David Cleeland, crewmen MAJ Clifton B. Andrews, CAPT Jerome C. Winters, and SGT Robert C. Moore, plus passengers MAJ Gerard M. Kieswetter, GSGT Willis S. Bowman, CPL Mickey R. Grable, and PFC Jimmy D. Baccus. [Taken from togetherweserved.com and aviation-safety.net]