THE WALL OF FACES

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

Operation Wheeler was a U.S. offensive operation launched on September 11, 1967, by the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division against the North Vietnamese Army’s (NVA) 2nd Division to the northwest of Chu Lai in Quang Nam Province, RVN. The operation was a series of assaults and search and destroy missions against the NVA. In early October, command authority for the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, was passed to the 1st Brigade, and the battalion departed Duc Pho Base Camp in southern Quang Ngai Province for the Wheeler area of operations. On November 9, 1967, while A Company, 1/35th was conducting combat operations near Chu Lai, it was engaged by an estimated two companies of North Vietnamese Army regulars wielding machine guns and small arms. A heavy barrage of fire was received as the company approached a fork of a river. Seven American were killed in the battle and one reported missing. The lost personnel included PFC Robert L. Hale, SP4 Donald S. Holke, SP4 James R. Howard, SP4 Dennis R. Podgorny, PFC Billy Templeton, SSG Freddie L. Thomas Jr., PFC Quinn W. Tichenor, and SP5 Tyrone Wright. Another sixteen were wounded requiring evacuation. Several posthumous decorations for bravery were awarded: Holke, a radioman, received the Silver Star for bravery, and Howard, Podgorny, and Tichenor were awarded the Bronze Star. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, cacti35th.com, and wikipedia.org]

Private First Class Robert Lawrence Hale, Served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

Dear PFC Robert Hale,
Thank you for your service as an Infantry Direct Fire Crewman. 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.

I attend high school with Robert and we graduated in 1964 from Robert E Lee in Baytown. I also served a year in Vietnam and had returned home in Sept. '67, was sad to hear the news, he was a great person.