THE WALL OF FACES

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

First Lieutenant Thomas Roy Gorrill, Served with Battery C, 6th Battalion, 77th Artillery Regiment, 54th Artillery Group, 9th Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

Dear Lt Thomas Gorrill,
Thank you for your service as a Field Artillery Unit Commander. 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.

1LT Thomas R. Gorrill was an artilleryman assigned to C Battery, 6th Battalion, 77th Artillery, 9th Infantry Division. During Operation Nui Coto, 1LT Gorrill was on loan to Mike Force troops conducting a campaign to dislodge Viet Cong elements of the 510th VC Battalion which controlled a network of caves and bunkers in that mountain. On April 2, 1969, Gorrill was serving as Forward Observer in the assault. While calling in a fire mission from his supporting battery on an automatic weapons placement, he got ahead of the CIDG unit he was working with when a friendly gunship began firing near his location. B Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Battalion, was at the bottom of the mountain monitoring the radio net when they heard Gorrill begin yelling, “Who called the gunship? Get it off, get it off!!” Gorrill was fatally injured when fire from the gunship meant for the enemy hit his position. His body was recovered by the CIDG fighters, who carried it down the mountain to B Battery, 1/84th’s firebase. It was put on a helicopter and flown to a U.S. Army morgue. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, the document “Operational Report of 5th Special Forces Group (Abn) for the Period Ending 30 April 1969.” (redwarriors.us), and information provided by Jim Breth (January 2018)]

Dear 1LT Thomas Roy Gorrill, sir,

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for the ultimate sacrifice that you 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. And please know that men and women like you have stepped forward to defend our country yet again, showing the same love for country and their fellow Americans that you did- you would be proud.

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

Curt Carter