THE WALL OF FACES

High school classmates...have thought about James for years.... every time I've thought about the war or the " wall" James came to mind... the sad loss of a youthful friend....I remember his smiling face....he was a good guy...
God Bless James and all his family

It's been 55 years since your passing and I am just getting to read the events of your demise. Many years ago after The Wall was installed in Washington, D.C. I looked for your name and found you almost immediately. It was the only name I searched for. There are no words that can express the debt we all owe you but to say God bless you, my friend.

Operation Emporia (July 21-September 14, 1967) was a 9th Infantry Division operation to secure the major transportation avenues in Long Khanh Province, RVN. The mission was to deny the Viet Cong (VC) concealment along routes QL-2 and QL-20, and National Highway QL-1, which the enemy had long used as vantage points for tax collection, as well as ambush purposes. U.S. ground operations were conducted by the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Blackhorse) with convoy escort support provided by elements of the 720th MP Battalion. The first day of the operation began with 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry conducting a road march along QL-20 to secure route clearing and Rome Plow operations for the 86th Engineers. At 9:35 AM, the 3rd Platoon of L Troop, 11th ACR was leading the squadron column accompanied by members of the 615th Military Police Company when they were ambushed near the village of Xa Binh Hoa by a VC force estimated at two battalions. The enemy fired recoilless rifle, heavy machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons. CPT William F. Abernethy, the Troop commander, was able to issue an ambush report over the squadron frequency before being fatally wounded. Troops I and K were ordered to sweep to the east and west flanks of QL-20 at the point of contact. K Troop moved down QL-20 to aid the embattled 3rd Platoon. They were met by intense automatic weapons and anti-armor fire from the west of the road just south of the ambush site. K Troop replied with unit weapons supported by air and artillery strikes. At 11:00 AM, enemy fire from the east of the road had completely ceased; by 1:30 PM, enemy resistance ended, and their remnants withdrew from the area. The 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry lost fourteen men in the fighting. L Troop losses included CPT Abernethy (posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal), SP4 Lawrence M. Dawson, SP4 Richard J. Schutz, PFC Douglas W. Hill (a medic from HHC w/ L/3/11), PFC Frank D. Leal, PFC Gary A. McLennan, PFC James L. Whitfield, and PVT Thomas F. Ganion. Three artillerymen from L Troop's Artillery Forward Observer team were also killed: PFC James F. Bean, PFC John J. Campa, and PFC George Foster. K Troop losses were1LT Ponder R. Sims, PFC Roosevelt C. Curley Jr., and PFC Billy G. Rodgers. Another forty-seven Americans were wounded, and two South Vietnamese interpreters were killed. Enemy losses were put at 196 dead. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, virtualwall.org, and 720mpreunion.org]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from Don Maher is moving. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever...

Private First Class James Francis Bean, Served with the 155MM Howitzer Battery, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, United States Army Vietnam.