THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from Charles Hansen is especially poignant. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us....

Sgt David Leon Baumgardner (26) was born on March 21, 1939 and was from El Cajon, California. He had enlisted in the Marine Corps. Entered via Regular Military. Served during the Vietnam War. He had the rank of Sergeant. Occupation or specialty was Rifleman. Service number was 1815214. Served with 1st Marine Division, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, M Company. On March 4, Operation UTAH was launched under the command of Task Force Delta in the Son Thinh District of Quang Ngai Province where the Marines would encounter elements of the 21st NVA Regiment. Mike Company was helicoptered into the operations area on the evening of 4 March the Marines moved forward on their search and destroy mission at first light on March 5. With little contact in the morning hours, Company M got heavily engaged with the enemy in the vicinity of Chau Nhai (3) by 1100 hours with the battle continuing into the afternoon. The NVA troops "occupied classic defensive positions, were well-armed and equipped, and defended occupied positions in strength." The Marines engaged and aggressively assaulted the enemy fortified positions and by approximately 1330 hours were able to penetrate the enemy positions which came at a cost of fifteen Marines killed and forty-six wounded in the action. Enemy resistance slackened with nightfall and when the Marines began again after daybreak on 06 March they found the NVA had withdrawn. The position turned out to be an extensive tunnel and underground bunker complex for the NVA 21st Regiment. The action on 05 March cost the Marines 43 dead. Mike 3/1 had fifteen of the Americans killed in action and forty-six wounded on 05 March. Sgt Baumgardner was killed due to multiple fragmentation Wounds. He is interred at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Topeka, Kansas and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall, Panel 05E, Line 112.

Gone but for gotten. Your service to this country will not be forgotten. Prayers for you and family

DEAR SERGEANT BAUMGARDNER,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A GRUNT. SEMPER FI. CHRISTMAS IS HERE.AND 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. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE.. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE.

You are honored and remembered on the Heartland Youth for Decency Vietnam Memorial. The Vietnam Memorial was built by a group of high school and college students from the La Mesa area called Heartland Youth for Decency back in 1970. The memorial park is dedicated to veterans who were living in Southern California's Heartland area (consisting of the communities of La Mesa, Spring Valley, Jamul, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, Santee, and Lakeside) when they accepted the call to military service, during which service they gave their lives in the Vietnam War.