THE WALL OF FACES

During the month of April 1969, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division participated in Operation Muskogee Meadow (April 6-20, 1969), a combined search and clear and rice-denial operation in the fertile An Hoa basin in Quang Nam Province, RVN. The 3/5 Marines coordinated their search and clear efforts with the rice harvest, cooperating closely with district officials involved. Division reconnaissance teams maintained a screen along the southern and western approaches into the area while three battalions ranged across the basin's lowlands. Security was provided for the Vietnamese rice harvesters and transportation of the gathered rice. After its successful conclusion on April 20th, the regiment retained responsibility for a majority of the basin, including the Arizona Territory, west and north of An Hoa Combat Base, and across the Song Thu Bon (River). On April 21st, Company M, 3/5 conducted a search and destroy mission three kilometers (1.8 miles) northeast of An Hoa Air Field when one of the radiomen tripped a booby trapped 155mm artillery shell. The blast killed one Marine, LCPL Paul T. Bazar, and wounded four others, including a Navy corpsman. The device reportedly had a pressure-release trigger and was placed on a trail next to a ditch. Bazar died after sustaining fragmentation wounds to the head and body. He had served as a rifleman with M Company during his first months in Vietnam, then was moved up to platoon radioman. Now part of the command element, Bazar was following his platoon leader as they attempted to make their way to the front of the column. They were on a double rice paddy dike that formed an irrigation passage between them. As they stepped from one rice paddy dike to the other, Bazar triggered the booby trapped round buried in the ground. He was killed instantly. The corpsman, HM3 Curran M Jones, was evacuated to the Navy hospital ship USS Sanctuary (AH-17) for treatment of a fragmentation wound to his left chest. He died shortly after from cardiac arrest. A squad leader and one other Marine were severely wounded. The platoon leader received a wound that was not life threatening. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, combatwife.net, and “1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Command Chronology for the period 1-30 April 1969” at ttu.edu]

I went to grade school and high school with Paul. He was quite but such a gentleman. Paul stopped in the drugstore where I was working one night and told me he was leaving for Vietnam. I remember feeling so sad but felt special that he stopped in just to say goodbye before he left. We would both have been 72 now. Paul died when he was so young. I do visit Paul’s grave on Memorial Weekend and leave a flower. I make sure he has a flag. Thank you Paul and may you Rest In Peace forever.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. May you rest in eternal peace.

Lance Corporal Paul Thomas Bazar, Served with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Third Marine Amphibious Force.

DEAR LANCE CORPORAL BAZAR,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A GRUNT. YOU ARE A CHRISTMAS BABY, AND IT IS CHRISTMAS WEEK. HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN. 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.