THE WALL OF FACES

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

On the remembrance of your 69th birthday, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Forever 18.

HOOAH

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

On the remembrance of your 68th birthday, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Forever 18.

HOOAH

CPL Michael E. Ball served with 3rd Platoon, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 198th Infantry Brigade. On April 17, 1971, CPL Ball was with his platoon on a combat patrol near An Hoa Airfield in Quang Nam Province, RVN. In the evening, they were preparing to set up their overnight laager. Another platoon had bivouacked nearby and it was standard procedure to place out mechanical ambush devices around their night defensive positions. Some of the squad leaders in 3rd Platoon felt that there was not enough separation between their laager and the other platoon. However, 3rd Platoon’s new leader ignored their concerns and decided they would stay where they were. He then sent out CPL Ball and another trooper to set some ambushes up on a trail. As Ball and the other soldier moved down the trail, they triggered a mechanical ambush that had been place there by the other platoon. There was a large explosion followed by screams. A medic and another soldier rushed the eighty meters to them. Ball was still alive. The blast had severed him from the waist down. He looked up at the medic and said, “Help me doc. I’m hit bad.” He then went into shock and died shortly thereafter. The other soldier suffered severe injuries to his legs. Bother were medivacked to the 23rd Medical Battalion at Hawk Hill. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and ttu.edu]