VIEW ALL PHOTOS (6)
HONORED ON PANEL 18W, LINE 7 OF THE WALL
LOUIS VINCENT HERMANN JR
WALL NAME
LOUIS V HERMANN JR
PANEL / LINE
18W/7
DATE OF BIRTH
CASUALTY PROVINCE
DATE OF CASUALTY
HOME OF RECORD
COUNTY OF RECORD
STATE
BRANCH OF SERVICE
RANK
REMEMBRANCES
LEFT FOR LOUIS VINCENT HERMANN JR
POSTED ON 8.3.2013
POSTED BY: Charlie Vallance
Fellow Marine
I didn’t know Lou but on the night of August 29, 1969, in the Hiep Duc Valley Lou gave his life in an effort that may have saved mine and many others. Hotel Company 2/7 was moving onto a small hill to set up a night defensive position. As my platoon arrived on the hilltop, the NVA opened up from all around the hill with small arms, automatic weapons, RPGs, and mortars. It appears we had triggered an ambush that was intended to catch the company by surprise as we attempted to dig in on the hill. Our Executive Officer was killed in the initial contact.
The company commander, the only remaining officer other than me, moved the rest of the company to the top of the hill under fire and we got ready to send out a reaction force to recover our dead. Due to the volume of fire, no one was able to reach them. At the same time, Golf Company 2/7 began moving towards the hill to try and flank the NVA and take the pressure off.
By now it was full dark and Golf was ambushed as soon they got close to us. I’ve only learned the details 40 years later, but apparently Lou was on point when Golf also walked into an ambush. According to one his fellow Marines, Lou and Gerald Smith were both killed outright when an NVA machine gun opened up.
Lou and I never met, but we were probably only meters away when he died trying to help me. He died in a brief violent encounter the details of which only a few had any knowledge of. Had I not see a post by one of his fellow Golf Company Marines, I would never have known of his sacrifice. Although it’s difficult, I hope more of us will share these kinds of details before they are lost forever.
The company commander, the only remaining officer other than me, moved the rest of the company to the top of the hill under fire and we got ready to send out a reaction force to recover our dead. Due to the volume of fire, no one was able to reach them. At the same time, Golf Company 2/7 began moving towards the hill to try and flank the NVA and take the pressure off.
By now it was full dark and Golf was ambushed as soon they got close to us. I’ve only learned the details 40 years later, but apparently Lou was on point when Golf also walked into an ambush. According to one his fellow Marines, Lou and Gerald Smith were both killed outright when an NVA machine gun opened up.
Lou and I never met, but we were probably only meters away when he died trying to help me. He died in a brief violent encounter the details of which only a few had any knowledge of. Had I not see a post by one of his fellow Golf Company Marines, I would never have known of his sacrifice. Although it’s difficult, I hope more of us will share these kinds of details before they are lost forever.
