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….

Private First Class Michael Charles Gomes, Served with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, United States Army Vietnam.

On April 15, 1970, units of Americal Division were conducting search and clear, reconnaissance in force, and pacification operations in their area of operations in Quang Ngai Province, RVN. On Hill 238, three miles south of Duc Pho, elements of C Company/4-21 and C Company/4-3 were securing a landing zone in order to act as a blocking force to engage North Vietnamese Army troops which were being driven their way by Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces. While they were organizing their position in 110-degree heat, a booby-trapped 105mm shell was detonated causing the sympathetic detonation of two 81mm mortar rounds and other miscellaneous munitions. The mortar rounds were stored in a pit and caused further secondary explosions of 81mm mortar rounds and Claymore mines that the men were carrying in their packs. Eight Americans were killed by the blast and another nineteen were wounded, thirteen of which required medical evacuation. The medivacs carried the injured to Duc Pho, then later transferred them to Chu Lai after triage. Seven of the patients removed from the hill later expired, bringing the total killed to fifteen. The lost Americans included from C/4-21: SSG Allen M. Garrett, PFC Dennis E. Jackowski, SP4 James W. Lindemann, SGT Robert J. Mussin, SP4 Gene S. Swager, PFC Rick A. Wilcox, and SP4 Perry L. Woolsey; from Headquarters Company/4-3: PFC Michael C. Gomes; and from C/4-3: PFC Michael W. Haynes, SGT Ronald E. Hodge, SP4 Charles L. Merrill Jr., PFC Jose L. Rivas, and PFC Clarence W. Templeton; from Headquarters Company/4-3: PFC Randall R. Simmons; and from Brigade Headquarters Company, 11th Brigade: 1LT Sandro Barone. Haynes, Rivas, Templeton, and Simmons were posthumously promoted to Corporal. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and Americal Division Tactical Operations Center (DTOC) logs for April 15-16, 1970; also from information provided by Harold Titus (February 2019)]

Michael....Honoring you on your birthday....You will never be forgotten...
God Bless

Dear PFC Michael Gomes,
Thank you for your service as a Medical Corpsman. Thank you for the lives you saved. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 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.