THE WALL OF FACES

You will forever remain in our hearts and prayers

On this Memorial Day 5/25/2020You served with my uncle Anthony Vincent Martinez

Dear SSgt Wilbert Jones, Thank you for your service as a Cannon Crewmember. Your birthday is soon, happy birthday. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Halloween is soon. The time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

At approximately 11:45 PM on August 9, 1970, FSB Guin, a U.S. fire support base 24 miles northeast of Ham Tan in Binh Thuy Province, RVN, received 6-8 rounds of enemy 82mm mortar fire followed by a ground probe by an undetermined-sized North Vietnamese Army force. The barrage was zeroed in on the howitzer positions of Delta Battery, 2nd Battalion, 40th Artillery. During the attack the enemy employed small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire and received support from .51 caliber machineguns. The infantrymen at Guin returned fire with available weapons and were supported by artillery, a USAF AC-119 gunship and flare ship. Contact continued until the enemy withdrew with unknown losses. U.S. casualties were four killed and ten wounded. The lost Americans included three artillerymen from Delta Battery: SP4 Don W. Avery, SSG Wilbert J. Jones Jr., and PFC Anthony V. Martinez; and one A Company, 5/12th infantryman, PFC John H. Lightsey. Lightsey was posthumously promoted to Corporal. The next day, a lone dead NVA soldier was found in the perimeter wire with numerous other blood trails leading into the jungle. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and the book “These Are My Credentials: The 199Th Light Infantry Brigade in the Republic of Vietnam, 1966-1970” by Robert J. Gouge]

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Thank you for stepping up and answering your country's call. Rest easy knowing you will never be forgotten.