THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever….

Operation Paul Bunyan (July 19 – September 11, 1967) was a U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division land clearing operation. Phase I was conducted in the Ong Dong jungle near Di An Base Camp, and Phase II was along National Highway QL-13 (“Thunder Road”) between Phu Cuong and Ben Cat. When it concluded, elements of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry headed back to their base camp at Lai Khe. On September 14th, during the road march back to base, the B Company command track, an M113 armored personnel carrier (APC #206), hit a large mine near intersection of routes TL-2A and LTL-1A, seven miles east of Lai Khe. The blast killed or injured all passengers on the APC and destroyed the track. The B Company medic track moved up to treat the casualties and was quickly joined by other B Company medics. The lost personnel included the B Company Commander, CPT Joseph S. Rose Jr., PSGT Thomas E. Murray, SP4 David C. Stanley, and PFC David L. Howard. Following the evacuation of the casualties, the wrecked APC was towed back to Lai Khe Base Camp. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and pbase.com; Image: the destroyed APC at Lai Khe (from pbase.com)]

Publication and date unknown. Taken from pbase.com.

Dear PFC David Howard, Thank you for you for your service as an Infantryman. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

“Are you saying you want pictures of David?” Marietta Noe asked Dave Bangert (Lafayette Journal & Courier) over the phone. “Well, of course I have some. Come on over, I guess.”

After pulling photos off the wall and off a shelf. After learning that those who run the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., want to make sure her son, David Howard, isn’t forgotten.

“Hope that helps,” Noe said. “I’m glad someone thought about David.”

“These are what I have — my memories,”

Excerpts from the interview with David's mom, Marietta Noe.