THE WALL OF FACES

Dear SP4 Larry Ray Guentzel, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice 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. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, Sir

Curt Carter

During the pre-dawn hours of June 24, 1967, the tent housing many of the 409th Transportation Corps (TC) Detachment mechanics lived in took a direct hit from a Viet Cong mortar with a contact fuse during a mortar attack that hit the 174th Company area at Duc Pho. Two mechanics were killed immediately and 35 total were injured. The entire unit was still living in tents while waiting for more permanent facilities (bunkered hootches) to be built. SP4 Larry R. Guentzel and SP4 Thomas M. Dickinson died instantly in their sleep in the attack. SP4 Gary Markle was severely injured with brain damage from shrapnel and survived as a paraplegic for over 29 years with only partial use of one arm. He could not use his legs or other arm. The doctors could not remove the shrapnel from his brain, and in the mid-1990's pieces of that shrapnel finally shifted enough to also take his sight. In 1996, he suffered severe burns when he was unable to control the hot water in a bath. He died of complications from those burns on September 28, 1996. Markle's wife considers his death a direct result of his wounds in Vietnam and is attempting to get his name added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. [Taken from 174ahc.org]

I was stationed with Larry at Ft. Meade in Maryland. We had many good times together. I remember one crazy night we had in Baltimore just before he shipped out for Vietnam. There were six of us and we had a great time. We did't get back to base until early morning. I remember Larry always laughing and smiling.

Larry is buried at Georgetown IOOF Cemetery in Georgetown, TX. 409 TC PH

"An God said who shall we send.I answered I am here,send me."

Isaiah 6:8