THE WALL OF FACES

America is / was fortunate to have such men !
We are sad at the lose of you, yet understand you are in the loving hands of God !

Dennis, it has been fifty one years since you were killed in action.  You have not been forgotten.  We both experienced the trial of war together and I carry with me the memories of that experience.  As members of the 3rd Platoon, Hotel Company, 1st Marines we traveled along antagonistic and dangerous paths daily.  We agonized over the loss of our brothers, Ronald Jones at No Name Island and just weeks later Richard Walker and Jack Quinn at Viem Tay. The heat of each day was burdensome as we patrolled NVA and Viet Cong infiltrated areas south of Marble Mountain along area best known as boobytrap alley, the Rocket Belt, and Reviera or stood security watch at the Tu Cau Bridge or the watch towers along the military supply road connecting Hoi An to Danang.  It was the night patrols that were the most frightening.  Every step was perilous as sympathetic Viet Cong villagers lay boobytraps everywhere.  Like our breaths, our sense of ourselves was momentary as we relentlessly prayed to survive another day.  There is a no moment involved in war that is ordinary, but through the calamity of it all you kept yourself together, you sustained the Marines around you, you provided courageous leadership skillfully, and because of that you will continue to be remembered as a heroic Marine.  I was not with you when the ammo dump exploded, having been wounded and hospitalized a month earlier, but I was saddened when I learned of your death soon after.     As your former platoon leader, I pray you continue to rest in peace and that God has blessed your family with sustained happy memories of your life.  Semper Fidelis.

I see that I've come across my first fellow New Jerseyan. As I can see, there are many people here to pay their respects to you! :) I am sorry that you died in Vietnam. Thank you for your service, your sacrifices to our country and for being a great young man. You will ALWAYS be remembered, Corporal. SEMPER FI!

DEAR CORPORAL BAGLEY,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A GRUNT. SEMPER FI. YOU WERE BORN ON ST. JOSEPH - PATRON SAINT OF THOSE WHO DIED. HALLOWEEN IS APPROACHING, AND ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS' DAYS - THE DAYS WE HONOR THOSE WHO LEFT US. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS GUIDE YOU. REST IN PEACE.

I reached out to Dan Gardner via email and was thrilled to hear back from him. His own experience in Vietnam is another commentary on the heroism displayed by so many of our nation's best and brightest. I thank you all for your service and courage. I'd hoped to find a photo from Bags' time at Belmont Abbey, but while I continue that search, I thought these online pages from the BAC yearbook would be of interest: http://www.e-yearbook.com/sp/eybb?school=945&year=1966&startpage=155&hilight=1
Pg. 154 (UL, approaching my dad), pg. 156 (LL, on the receiving end of one of my father's "pep talks?") & page 159 (UL shooting, en route to release).That motion began at the back and side of Bags' head and included an Elgin Baylor-like lead leg straddle kick!