THE WALL OF FACES

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

On April 14, 1969, a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter CH-46D (tail number 153361), YK-5, from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 (HMM 364), was on an emergency medevac mission in Quang Nam Province (I Corps), RVN, when it was shot down and crashed into heavy trees. Four Marine personnel were killed in the crash. The mission was on the south side of "Charlie Ridge." There wasn't a suitable landing zone to recover the wounded Marines, so a hoist extraction was underway when intense hostile fire erupted. Enemy rounds caused a dual hydraulic boost failure. The pilot activated the explosive device to shear the hoist cable and attempted to autorotate to the valley below. The mountain's topography dropped off steeply and the helicopter fell, hitting nose-up, like a motorboat plowing through the trees. The aircraft exploded on impact. Three crewmen were killed in the crash, pilot 1LT Michael K. Nickerson, right gunner SGT Robert M. Gendron, and corpsman HM2 William L. Sperb. A passenger, photographer LCPL John E. Banister, also died. The co-pilot, crew chief, and the left gunner survived. Elements of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, made a grueling four-kilometer trek to recover bodies and weapons the following day. [Taken from popasmoke.com and vhpa.org]

DEAR LANCE CORPORAL BANISTER,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN AIRCRAFT CNE/WEAPONS/DECM SYSTEM TECHNICIAN. SEMPER FI. ELECTION DAY IS TODAY - WATCH OVER AMERICA. IT STILL NEEDS YOUR GRACE. VETERANS' DAY IS APPROACHING - SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER AND HONOR ALL OF YOU. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS GUIDE YOU. REST IN PEACE.

After all these 47 years maybe now i can finally give you a proper send off. A better guy there never was and you werent a bad hootch mate either... You were just doing what you loved. Hope All who read this understand the courage it took for you to do what you did that day. Your family and friends i am sure knew this about you. I know now i can also someday offer my condolences to your family. Good bye - smooth sailing and may you always have the wind at your back. Semper Fi !!

Dear LCPL John Edward Banister, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, Sir

Curt Carter