THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Lt Loren Hagen,
Thank you for your service as a Special Forces Qualified Infantry Unit Commander, and for receiving the Medal of Honor. Your 73rd birthday just passed, happy birthday. The war was years ago, but we all need 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.

Loren Douglas Hagen (February 25, 1946 – August 7, 1971) was a United States Army Special Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions during the Vietnam War as Recon Team (RT) leader of a small special reconnaissance unit "RT Kansas", manned by USASF Green Berets and highly trained Montagnard commandos from Task Force One Advisory Element aka Command & Control North, a division of Studies and Observations Group in the Vietnam War. Hagen was the last member of the U.S. Army to earn a Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. This is the definition of a hero.

You were one of the brave that answered the call. You honored us by your service and sacrifice. We now honor you each time we stand and sing the words “THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE”. Rest in Peace and Honor Loren.

On August 7, 1971, Medal of Honor Winner 1LT Loren "Festus" D. Hagen, SGT Oran L. Bingham, and SGT Bruce A. Berg were members of Task Force 1 Advisory Element, Command and Control North (CCN), MACV-SOG, Recon Team Kansas, performing Recon deep enemy held territory. In a battle with odds of 107 to 1, RT Kansas of 14 commandos (six Americans and eight Special Commando Unit members) faced a formidable foe of an entire regiment, supported by a second regiment. One NVA regiment was able to overrun the Special Forces’ Kham Duc camp in 1968 and it only took one third of a regiment to completely overrun the Special Forces camp at Lang Vei in one night. Here, RT Kansas equipped with only what they had on their backs, CAR 15's, grenade launchers and one M-60 machine gun, faced an onslaught greater than the men at the Alamo. Clearly, RT Kansas was an unwanted guest and the NVA intended to remove the team without delay. The team had taken up a position on a small hill, spent the night, receiving probing activities during the night, and as dawn approached, trucks began to arrive filled with NVA. The onslaught came with a single, well placed RPG round, which smashed into Berg’s bunker exploding, collapsing it. This was the signal for the assault. LT Hagen went to check Berg but was cut down in the massive enemy fire and died. Bingham left his bunker to reposition the claymores and died within six feet of his position with a bullet striking him in the head. An SCU jumped up and was cut down immediately. SGT Bill Queen lay wounded, SGT Tony Anderson sustained multiple wounds but continued fighting and commanding the situation, and SGT William Rimondi unwounded. The enemy came in great numbers, so close rolling over the hill, they were inches from the end of the CAR 15 muzzles. Then air support arrived with massive fire power which broke the enemy’s attack and they fled for cover. By this time Rimondi suffered multiple wounds. Hueys arrived and the remaining team members and some of the teams dead were recovered. Three hours later, SGT Anderson, although wounded, returned with a Bright Light Team and recovered the dead. Berg’s remains were not located. Three Americans and three SCU died in this action with a confirmed 185 NVA dead, a kill ratio of 31:1. [Taken from macvsog.cc and virtualwall.org]

Loren, I am a cousin that we only met once, but I remember so dearly. You were older than me and I looked up to you as you were everything I wasn't. The family followed you as you went to serve and you died the same month I enlisted. Oh, I so wanted to be just like you, but GOD had different plans for me.... We miss you so much and wanted you to know. GOD give you peace.