THE WALL OF FACES

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Chief Warrant Officer Albert Lewis Barthelme, Jr. was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action. He served as a Helicopter Pilot and was assigned to the 170TH AHC, 52ND AVN BN, 17TH AVN GROUP, 1ST AVIATION BDE.
See https://army.togetherweserved.com/

I think about you all the time,you were my LT. In Viet Nam.when I first met you you said to me your first job was to get me home safe and you did
Till we meet again

DEAR CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER BARTHELME,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN UTILITY/OBSERVATION HELICOPTER PILOT. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE. ADVENT IS HERE, AND CHRISTMAS IS APPROACHING. WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU. THE NEW YEAR IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, WHICH MAKES IT FAR TOO LONG FOR YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE.

From "Tales of SOG" here is a story that to me seems to epitomize the biblical verse "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) On 15Apr70, just over 46 years ago, RT Montana was asked to help rescue the crew of a shot down 170th AHC Huey in the mountains high above Dak Seang, Vietnam at a small clearing called LZ Orange... Two US SOG troopers, SSG Denis Neal and SSG Michael V. Kuropas, and several Yards did not make it back alive. This photo below of RT Montana was taken just before this action. The next photo in this photo book was taken by yours truly as I was training to go out with the now reconstituted RT Montana one year later to look for an NVA sapper battalion NW of Dak To and right up against the Laotian border...
Here is the link to the story... Read it and weep...! Literally...
Also, I must offer my humblest of thanks to all of the Army and Air Force aircrews who showed up and tried to help: the 3 OH-6 Loaches, that C-123, the F-4s and A1Es, the Jolly Green Giants and all of the Hueys and Cobras... Some of them did not make it back to their base alive...
Just imagine being asked to climb into a Huey and fly into a very small clearing high up in the mountains right next to Laos to rescue a shot down Huey crew and some pathfinders, and knowing by then that they were surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of NVA soldiers ready, willing and able to take shots at you... Would you have climbed into that Huey...?
http://www.macvsog.cc/dak_seang_15_apr_70.htm#Dak Seang