THE WALL OF FACES

I served with Neal in Vietnam. We were in the same platoon (HHT) but in different squads. A few nights before he was killed, he and I stood the watch together at Camp Di An, operating an M-60 Machine gun on the base’s outer perimeter. Like most young people, we talked away the evening before setting the watch at 10:00 p.m. Fortunately, Neal drew the shorter straw, meaning I had the mid-watch, but it made little difference, for there was little chance of either of us getting much sleep that night. We loaded our five-truck convoy for the return trip to the Ham Tan Firebase in the Binh Duong Province, about 80 miles northeast of Camp Di An. I remember him being sick and unable to hold down his breakfast during the return trip. Neal was younger than most in the platoon, around 17 or 18. Nevertheless, he was intelligent and hard-working, and well-liked by all. The tempo of the war was changing, meaning the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was by now heavily invested in the Vietnamization of the war. However, our squadron was still taking causalities, most from landmines and sniper fire. At the Ham Tan Firebase, I was responsible for arranging sorties of supplies to be sling loaded and lifted by CH 46 Chinook helicopters to various grid locations on the map in support of Fox Troop, which was operating jointly with a South Vietnamese infantry unit near the Laotian border. In addition, my squad ran a water filtration system to keep us, and Fox Troop supplied with plenty of fresh water. Neal’s APC crew and two other tracks were assigned to provide security for that water filtration system, which is where they were headed the day his track hit the landmine. The Ham Tan Firebase had a short 1,300-foot runway built by the French decades earlier, and we were using it to assemble our daily sorties of supplies. I was waiting for the first Chinook of the day to pick up a load when I heard the blast that killed Neal and two others. All three were medevacked before I could reach the scene. It was later determined that the landmine was hand donated, and as I remember, Neal’s APC was last in the column. Neal and I were involved in many of the same operations from Cambodia to Laos. It’s been more than fifty years since Neal’s death, but he will never be forgotten, and hopefully, that will bring some comfort to his family.

When I saw his face, he reminded me of Jimmy Fallon on the Jimmy Fallon show!

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

On the remembrance of your 69th birthday, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Forever 18.

HOOAH

Remembering you Cousin Neal Vincent Bainter on your 68th Birthday today. Your Aunt Eunice talks about you so often and remains so very Proud of you!! You are missed and remembered by our Family! Rest in Peace and we will never forget!