THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from fellow soldier Brad King is touching. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever...

Sergeant Clarence Eugene Baker, Served with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 123rd Aviation Battalion, 16th Aviation Group, Americal Division, United States Army Vietnam.

On November 30, 1970, enemy gunners fired about twenty 100-pound 122mm rockets into the U.S. Americal Division headquarters at Chu Lai Air Base in Quang Tin Province, RVN. At least one rocket hit the 16th Aviation Group dispensary, killing seven. The rocket struck the dispensary after sick call when the medics were relaxing and playing cards, as was their usual practice to occupy time. The lost medical personnel included corpsman PFC Douglas S. Bridgers, lab specialists SP4 Robert A. Bojanek and SSGT Dennis M Smith, and medical NCO’s SGT Clarence E. Baker, Donald L. Golden, CPL Benjamin R. Nelson Jr., and SP4 Kenneth L. Robertson. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, thewall-usa.com, and the Chicago Tribune, December 1, 1970, p. 1, section 1A]

DEAR SERGEANT BAKER,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A MEDICAL NCO, AND FOR THE LIVES THAT YOU SAVED. 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.

Gene was my cousin. He was older than me, but I remember visiting his family and he was such a sweet guy. He was always nice to me, just a fat little cousin from Mississippi. I have always wondered what happened to his little girl. I think she was only a few weeks old when he was killed. His grandmother was my Daddy's half sister.