THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrances from family, friends, and fellow soldiers attest to their love and respect for you. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us....

Private First Class Donald Ray Bartley, Served with Battery D, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Third Marine Amphibious Force.

Donald I joined the Marines in 1968-1972 and served in Vietnam 69 and 70. Retired from U.S. Navy 1989.
I knew you as a friend and grew up around Lizton, Indiana
We had some great times dating girls, you always had a bottle of English Leather in your glove box. The Girls liked it.
I hope your sister Linda is doing great, lost contact with her, iF she reads this she can email me. Your friend Ellis

On the night of March 18-19, 1969, Delta Battery 2/11 Marines was located at Fire Support Base Phu Lac 6, adjacent to the Liberty Bridge near An Hoa, RVN. A few hundred meters distant was the command post of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. In the early morning hours of March 19th, both areas were attacked, first by a barrage of mortar and rocket fire, then by a ground attack estimated to be in battalion size. Thirteen Marines and two Navy Corpsmen died in the two attacks, 12 from Delta 2/11 and 3 from the 1/5 command post. The NVA left 79 bodies strewn around the artillery compound alone. Medal of Honor winner HM2 David R. Ray placed himself upon a Marine after he saw an enemy-thrown grenade land near them. Ray died after the grenade blast, while the Marine he sacrificed his life for lived. Ray was formally assigned to the Headquarters Battery, but was Delta 2/11's senior corpsman during the battle. The fourteen other men lost were CPL Richard Gilliam, CPL Charles E. Wheeler, LCPL Charles E. Grooms Jr., PFC John F. Allen, PFC Donald R. Bartley, PFC Dennis F. Ellis, PFC John M. Goodwin, PFC Robert R. Highfill, PFC George N. Myers, PFC Loring W. Watson, PFC Paul Wilson, GSGT Floyd M. Keefe, HN Lee T. Hamman, and PFC David B. Arnott. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, wikipedia.org, and virtualwall.org]

Picture posted by Tom Clark, Teacher and Students, Lake Central High School, St. John, Indiana.
Please watch our video about what we have been doing in the classroom for the past 32 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohw6D-bcfPU
Picture from the Plain Dealer Library