THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us.....

At 3:30 PM on December 11, 1966, a M54 5-ton 6x6 cargo resupply truck pulling a water trailer and carrying six Marines enroute to Company D, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines Combat Base was attacked four miles northeast of Binh Son Airfield in Quang Ngai Province, RVN, by an estimated ten Viet Cong (VC) dressed in green khaki uniforms and black pajamas. The enemy fired an initial burst of about twenty rounds of small arms fire from positions on both sides of the road. A fragmentation grenade was thrown in front of the truck, damaging the motor and stopping the vehicle. Two VC with automatic weapons then jumped in the road and fired at the vehicle from the rear. One of the Marines was hit and fell into the road. The other Marines returned fire, knocking down one of the assailants. Despite moderate damage to the truck and trailer, the driver was able restart the vehicle and get it moving, making it to the combat base. During the ambush, two Marines in the truck were killed and the other four wounded, two slightly. The slain Marines were SGT Edward R. Basham and CPL Ernie W. Rosser. Company D dispatched a squad with three M50 Ontos tracked vehicles back to recover the wounded Marine who was shot off the truck. A platoon of Marines on a nearby combat patrol were also diverted to act as a blocking force for VC fleeing the scene. The fallen Marine in the road was recovered and returned to the combat base where he was medivacked. Seven VC were observed fleeing south and artillery was called on their escape route. The barrage killed one VC (estimated). A Forward Observer (FO) on station marked the VC position and an attack aircraft dropped a 500lb. bomb (the only ordinance on board). The FO lost visual contact of the fleeing enemy shortly after. A search of the ambush site by an additional squad revealed a heavy blood pool left by the enemy. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Command Chronology (1st Battalion, 7th Marines), December 1966” at ttu.edu]

DEAR SERGEANT BASHAM,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN INFANTRY UNIT LEADER. SEMPER FI. 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.

Semper Fi, Sergeant.

Dear SGT Edward Ray Basham, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter