THE WALL OF FACES

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

PFC Thomas Alvin Jennings (21) was born 18 Jan 1945 and was from Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois. Thomas was the son of Robert G. Jennings and Martha Jennings of Palestine IL. Although Tom won a starting position in football at Eastern Illinois University, he left school to enlist in the US Marine Corps on April 30 1965 in Indianapolis IN. In Vietnam he was serving with Company M, 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, 3d MARDIV (Rein) FMF. On March 4, Operation UTAH was launched under the command of Task Force Delta in the Son Thinh District of Quang Ngai Province where the Marines would encounter elements of the 21st NVA Regiment. Mike Company was helicopter-ed into the operations area on the evening of 4 March the Marines moved forward on their search and destroy mission at first light on March 5. With little contact in the morning hours, Company M got heavily engaged with the enemy in the vicinity of Chau Nhai (3) by 1100 hours with the battle continuing into the afternoon. The NVA troops "occupied classic defensive positions, were well-armed and equipped, and defended occupied positions in strength." The Marines engaged and aggressively assaulted the enemy fortified positions and by approximately 1330 hours were able to penetrate the enemy positions which came at a cost of fifteen Marines killed and forty-six wounded in the action. Enemy resistance slackened with nightfall and when the Marines began again after daybreak on 06 March they found the NVA had withdrawn. The position turned out to be an extensive tunnel and underground bunker complex for the NVA 21st Regiment. The action on 05 March cost the Marines 43 dead. Mike 3/1 had fifteen of the Americans killed in action and forty-six wounded on 05 March. PFC Jennings was one of the casualties he was killed in action from a hostile gunshot wound. Pfc. Jennings is interred at Palestine Cemetery, in Palestine, Illinois and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall, Panel 05E, Line 118.

Dear PFC Thomas Jennings, Thank you for your service as Rifleman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It's the end of summer. The time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

I believe you served with my cousin. He shared your memory with me. I will forever hold your memory in my heart.

Tom and I were team mates at Eastern Illinois. University. Tom was one of three that year to win a starting position as a freshman. Tom told me he was going to quit school and join the Marines, I ask him to reconsider, well the rest is history. A number in the varsity club at Eastern took part in Toms funeral. I will never forget the day I walked out of the field house and Toms mother and father was standing there we visited for a short time then walked over to the stadium and just stood there in silence, then we left. Boots and Bob were great people!