THE WALL OF FACES

1965 Fort Riley Kansas visiting are friends the Holland family when the news of Captain Hollands Death caused by the deserting S. Vietnamese company he was there to help train. I was only 12 but I remember that my stepfather a special forces captain was deployed with the 1st Division and we left with thought over the next year are we going to get the same news?

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Mobile Advisory Teams provided training to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and territorial units of the Regional and Popular Forces. Teams generally consisted of two officers, three enlisted men, and an ARVN interpreter. Their primary mission was to advise and instruct the Vietnamese units on field fortifications, barrier systems, indirect fire support, and small unit operations with emphasis on night operations and ambushes, patrols, weapons employment, and emergency medical care. On February 9, 1965, three MACV advisors from Team 88 were killed and a fourth captured after the South Vietnamese home guardsmen they were training deserted their post which was then attacked by a Viet Cong (VC) force. The outpost, a fortification three kilometers (1.8 miles) northeast of Duc Phong Airfield in Phuoc Long Province, RVN, was pounded by 57mm recoilless rifle and mortar fire before the VC launched its ground assault. The inexperienced home guards were prompted to leave by loudspeakers calling out in the evening darkness that the guerrillas only wanted “to kill the Americans” and the rest could go freely if they left their weapons. About 130 Vietnamese and mountain tribesmen heeded the admonishment and fled. The Americans and five tribesmen who remained at their side withstood an assault by an estimated 70 insurgents. They defended the position until their ammunition was expended, then were overrun and killed by the VC. The following day, an ARVN unit was inserted into the area and learned that an American had been observed being held captive in the vicinity of Duc Phong. By mid-afternoon, the ARVN unit recaptured the camp and recovered the remains of three American advisors. They were CPT Carlton J. Holland, SSG Emmett J. Bryant, and PFC John W. Malapelli. Holland was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism. SP4 James H. McLean was believed captured uninjured and reportedly last seen in prisoner camps in 1966; however, his name never appeared on lists of those who died in captivity, and he was not freed in 1973 in the general prisoner release. McLean was declared dead in 1978. He was promoted to Master Sergeant during the time he was missing. [Sourced from coffeltdatabase.org, pownetwork.org, and “Three G.I.’s Killed by Vietcong After Home Guard Unit Fled.” The New York Times (New York, NY), February 14, 1965]

Taken from The New York Times (New York, NY), February 14, 1965.

Remember to save for them a place inside of you, and save one backward glance when you are leaving, for the places they can no longer go...

CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain (Infantry) Carlton Jake Holland, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Captain Holland distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on during the period 9 - 10 February 1965 while serving as Subsector Advisor at Bu Dang compound, Duc Phong Subsector, Phuoc Long Sector, in the Republic of Vietnam. At 2200 hours on 9 February 1965, the compound was attacked by a hostile contingent composed of approximately seventy armed insurgents. During the initial assault, hostile mortar fire registered direct hits on the compound defenses. The Viet Cong, realizing the vulnerability of the compound, called upon Captain Holland to surrender. Stimulated by the will to resist, Captain Holland refused, despite the overwhelming odds. He then dispersed his small force to form a defensive perimeter. Taking the most dangerous approach himself, Captain Holland manned a machine gun and engaged the insurgents until the ammunition at that positions was exhausted. He then moved to an alternate position and continued to fight until his small band was overrun and killed by the Viet Cong. Captain Holland's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
See https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/5370