THE WALL OF FACES

You were one of the brave that answered the call. You honored us by your service and sacrifice. We now honor you each time we stand and sing the words “THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE”. Rest in Peace and Honor Jimmy.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from Robert Michael Ward is touching. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us...

First Lieutenant Jimmy Dale Bean, Served with the 1st Platoon, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

I met Jimmy Bean when I was a boy scout with Troop 24 in Amarillo, Texas in the early 1960s. In short two or three years, he became a friend an above all a mentor to me. To this day I thank Jimmy Bean as one who helped me mature. One of the best persons I have ever known.

SGT Gary M. Brannon, SSGT Lewis E. Sampler, and SP4 David A. Weber were infantrymen serving with D Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. 1LT Jimmy D. Bean was a platoon commander assigned to 1st Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. On March 25, 1969, all four soldier were killed in an engagement with the NVA after being inserted by helicopter near FSB Keane-FSB Meade, Duc Hoa District, Hau Nghia Province, RVN. The following is a personal account of the Delta Company ambush by Howard W. Mitchell: “We hit a hot LZ and headed for a tree line. My platoon was in the lead. When my four lead men were about 15 meters from the trees the enemy opened fire. The point went down instantly. We had walked right into an ambush, an L-shaped bunker complex, and they had us. We worked to recover the four point men and got one, but could not reach the rest. They had us pinned down under heavy fire and tried to flank us. We later found out we were facing a reinforced company of NVA regulars. The Battalion Command and Control (C&C) chopper came on station overhead. They called for one of our sister companies, Bravo, to move in to help us. They came in and drew heavy fire and soon they were pinned down, too. They lost a lieutenant right off the bat, along with several of his platoon. The medevacs that flew in to get our wounded drew heavy fire and could not land. The C&C called for more artillery support and F-4 jets. We spent all day trying to reach my three remaining point men. We could get within 20 or 30 meters, but no closer. They did not respond to any calls or signals. I lost one of my best platoon sergeants and several other men trying to get to them. At dark the Battalion Commanding Officer ordered us to pull back and establish a NDP (Night Defensive Perimeter). Later that night, one of our listening posts popped a claymore and dragged an NVA in brand new clothes and web gear into the perimeter. I remember one of my point men making it back to the NDP with napalm burns. He told me the other two were killed in the first few minutes of the fight. The next morning the enemy was gone, and we went back in and retrieved the other two.” The four men killed in action on March 25, 1969: SGT Gary M. Brannon (Delta Company), SSGT Lewis E. Sampler (Delta Company), SP4 David A. Weber (Delta Company) and 1LT Jimmy D. Bean (Bravo Company). Brannon and Weber received posthumous promotions to Staff Sergeant and Sergeant. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Howard W. Mitchell at i-kirk.info]