THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from Dan McManus is especially poignant. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us....

First Lieutenant Richard Lee Bales, Served with the 3rd Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, United States Army Vietnam.

Rick and I got engaged the summer of ‘68 just before he left. We wrote to each other almost every day and intended to elope over Christmas when he had an R&R scheduled in Hawaï. His letters were lost ( stolen out of a car) unfortunately with other keepsakes. But I remember he was very upset to see little children suffering. He left to do his duty and was a patriotic young man but started to question.....to put it clearly he was killed by friendly fire. Tragic.

1LT Richard L. Bales, PFC Blair W. Two Crow, and SP4 Steve E. Wertz were infantrymen assigned to 3rd Platoon, D Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. On December 4, 1968, D Company was patrolling and conducting day ambushes in the vicinity of Ha Thanh Airfield, Quang Ngai Province, RVN. Near dusk, 3rd Platoon came down from the mountains and dug fox holes for their night defensive positions. Other members of the platoon were unloading supplies which had been delivered by helicopter earlier. At 1655 hours, a friendly 81mm mortar round which was targeted at hostile forces fell short and landed near 3rd Platoon’s position. Fragments from the mortar fatally injured 1LT Bales, PFC Two Crow, and SP4 Wertz. Ten others were wounded by the errant round. Medivacs (medical evacuation by helicopter) were requested. Six of the wounded were transported to the 27th Surgical Hospital and the other four were taken to the 312th Evacuation Hospital. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, 1-20infantry.org, and sdvietnamwarmemorial.com]

DEAR LIEUTENANT BALES,
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A INFANTRY UNIT COMMANDER. I HATE THAT YOU DIED 3 DAYS BEFORE YOUR BIRTHDAY. ELECTION DAY IS NEAR AND VETERANS' DAY IS APPROACHING, MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS GUIDE YOU. REST IN PEACE.