THE WALL OF FACES

The 5th Transportation Command (Terminal) had the duty of running the extensive Qui Nhon port and served under the U.S. Army Support Command, Qui Nhon. The 5th Transportation Command was later deployed to Da Nang, and had battalions serving Vung Tau and Cat Lai. Among its duties were support of amphibious operation and supplying ammunition and ordnance to operational units, primarily by heavy boat. On the afternoon of November 2, 1970, SGT Dennis I. Day, SGT Richard C. Dority, SGT David L. Ginn, SGT Perry C. Kitchens, SGT Arlie R. Mangus, SGT Jerry D. Martin, SSGT Calvin A. Norris, SGT James R. Pantall, SFC John D. Shewmake, SGT David W. Woods, and PFC Billie H. Peeples were the crew of a landing craft, LCU #63, which departed Da Nang en route to Tan My, South Vietnam on a resupply mission. The LCU was a heavy craft able to carry large loads of ammunition. At 1010 hours on November 3, 1970, helicopter pilots sighted the craft capsized about 5 nautical miles south of Tan My port. In an initial search by air/sea rescue, however, no sign of the crew of the LCU were observed. There was no apparent hostile action, and the reason for the incident is unknown. On November 6, the remains of Billy H. Peoples were recovered near Cu Loi Island, fully rigged in a life jacket. During the period of December 4-20, attempts were made to salvage the craft and locate the crew. Divers gained access to all compartments and voids of the craft, but no survivors or evidence of remains were found. Pieces of clothing, small arms ammo, cans and a radio were recovered. On March 16, 1977, the body of Perry Kitchens was returned to U.S. control and subsequently positively identified. There has been no word of the rest of the crew. The missing eight men were all presumed to have drowned, and the U.S. Army believes there is no chance to ever recover the eight men missing from LCU-63. [Taken from pownetwork.org]

David has a marker in his memory at New Silver Brook Cemetery, Anderson, Anderson County, SC.

Dear SGT David Landrell Ginn, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter

I was raised in Anderson, til I got drafted in 1970,
The name Ginn sure rings a bell, seems like I played Little League Ball with a Ginn.....would like to learn more about David

SERGEANT

DAVID LANDRELL GINN


served with the


329th TRANSPORTATION COMPANY

5th TRANSPORTATION COMMAND ( TERMINAL )


The 5th Transportation Command ( Terminal ) had the duty of running the extensive Qui Nhon port and served under the United States Army Support Command, Qui Nhon.

The 5th Transportation Command was later deployed to Da Nang, and had Battalions serving Vung Tau and Cat Lai.

Among its duties were support of amphibious operation and supplying ammunition and ordnance to operational units, primarily by heavy boat.

On the afternoon of 2 November 1970


Sergeant
Dennis Irvin Day

Sergeant
Richard Clair Dority

Sergeant
David Landrell Ginn

Sergeant
Perry Castellion Kitchens
( remains recovered )

Sergeant
Arlie Robert Mangus

Sergeant
Jerry Dean Martin

Staff Sergeant
Calvin Andrew Norris

Sergeant
James Robert Pantall

Private First Class
Billie Hammond Peeples
( remains recovered )

Sergeant First Class
John Daniel Shewmake Sr.

and

Sergeant
David Walter Woods


were the crew of a landing craft, LCU #63, which departed Da Nang en route to Tan My, South Vietnam on a resupply mission.

The LCU was a heavy craft able to carry large loads of ammunition.

At 1010 hours on 3 November 1970, helicopter pilots sighted the craft capsized about 5 nautical miles south of Tan My port.

In an initial search by air/sea rescue, however, no sign of the crew of the LCU were observed.

There was no apparent hostile action, and the reason for the incident is unknown.

On 6 November 1970 the remains of Billy Hammond Peoples were recovered near Cu Loi Island, fully rigged in a life jacket.

During the period of 4-20 December attempts were made to salvage the craft and locate the crew.

Divers gained access to all compartments and voids of the craft, but no survivors or evidence of remains were found.

Pieces of clothing, small arms ammunition, cans and a radio were recovered.

On 16 March 1977 the body of Perry Kitchens was returned to United States control and subsequently positively identified.

There has never been any further word of the remaining members of the crew.

The missing nine men were all presumed to have drowned, and the U.S. Army believes there is no chance to ever recover the eight men missing from LCU-63.

There are several discrepancies in the case of LCU-63 which should be noted.

First of all, the United States Army, the United States State Department and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Directory lists all the crew except Peeples as Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, or Sergeant First Class, which are ranks one grade above those listed by Defense Department and Joint Casualty Resolution Center records.

The lower grades are listed as follows:

Ginn, Martin, Pantall, Peeples -
E3 or Private First Class;

Day, Dority, Kitchens, Mangus and Woods - E4 -
which can be either Corporal or Specialist 4;

Norris - E5 or Sergeant;

Shewmake - E6 or Staff Sergeant.

Secondly, the Memorial Directory lists the entire crew with the exceptions of Peeples and Kitchens as missing on 4 November 1971 ( a year and a day later than all other records ).

Third, the military occupational specialties of all 10 men on whom information can be gathered are classified.

It was not uncommon for promotions to be given during the period between the time personnel went missing and the time they were declared dead.

This group is classified as having had "non-hostile, died while missing" deaths, leading one to assume that for a brief time, at least, they were declared missing, so that it might be possible to have attained a grade increase during that period.

It is uncommon, however for grade increases to be given to those whom are considered dead and non-recoverable.

It was also uncommon for a group of 18 and 19 year-olds, as were most of this crew, to attain the rank of sergeant.

Strange things have been known to happen regarding missing men.

One pilot was declared dead because his aircraft exploded close to the ground.

Later, the pilot, who had ejected in a cloud of smoke, and landed on the ground even before his parachute was fully deployed, was released from a POW camp.

One Marine, Ronald Ridgeway, was declared dead and actually "buried" in a mass grave in the United States with other men from the same action, only to come home from a POW camp in 1973.

Mistakes were made, and errors in judgement occurred.

Given that the LCU sank with no witnesses, and sank in the proximity of an island, it is imaginable that the crew could have survived to be captured.

This could be said to be supported by the fact that Peeples was found fully outfitted in his life jacket. It is, of course, only conjecture.





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE