THE WALL OF FACES

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” once again remember one of the 67 men whose name is chiseled into stone beneath a Gold Star at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, MAJ Paul Richard Karas, on what would’ve been his 83rd birthday – 6 September 2017.

This man was bigger than life to me when I was growing up. Linda, Kenny, and Bruce lost an awesome father, and our nation lost a true hero, who wasn't sent, but volunteered to serve his country in one of the toughest conflicts in human history. Miss you, Paul!

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” remember one of the 67 men whose name is chiseled into stone beneath a Gold Star at the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, MAJ Paul Richard Karas, on what would’ve been his 82d birthday – 6 September 2016.

On February 3, 1967, MAJ Paul R. Karas, the XO, and MAJ William Phillips, the Operations Officer, were killed while on a lift south of Saigon in the area know as the “Testicles.” They were lead ship (66-00908) on a joint U.S./ARVN lift. The U.S. and ARVN troops were to land in different LZ’s. Enroute to the first LZ the U.S. commander switched the LZ’s and the U.S. troops were landed in the ARVN LZ, right in the middle of a huge rice paddy with no trees for at least a mile on each side. The ARVNs, on the other hand, were to land in the apex of a V-shaped area with a river and trees on each side. On short final of a 10-ship staggered trail formation, the ARVN commander changed plans and shouted for MAJ Karas to land short. He quickly informed the flight of the change and the ships landed along a dike line with the lead ship in roughly the spot where the trail ship would have been. As the troops unloaded, a massive explosion lifted the lead ship up about 10 feet and rolled it over on its left side where it beat itself to death, ending bottom up at a 45 degree angle. The pilot, MAJ Phillips, was killed instantly and MAJ Karas was mortally wounded while the flight surgeon going along as gunner (CAPT Frank Anzalone) incurred shrapnel wounds in his chest and legs. The crew chief was also wounded seriously. The rest of the flight was taking heavy fire and pulled pitch. It was several hours before a rescue ship could land. MAJ Karas was still alive and strapped into his seat upside down but his wounds were severe. He died on the medivac ship. It was later learned that there were mines all along the dike leading to the apex. Since the ARVN commander told MAJ Karas to land short, it appears that he may well have known about the planned ambush of U.S. troops. [Taken from vhpadata.org]

The "Friends of Rocky Versace" remember MAJ Paul R. Karas who died in Vietnam 49 years ago today; 3 Feb 1967.