THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. You died at 18 years of age. I am 74 and have lived a long and fulfilling life. It is tragic you never had that same opportunity. May you rest in eternal peace.

Thank you for saving my father's life. You are remembered by him and all of his family always and especially in his memorial day speeches. Bless you.

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

On July 28, 1966, a reconnaissance element from 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division was conducting surveillance in the Ia Drang Valley in Pleiku Province, RVN, when they observed fifteen North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldiers moving east on a trail towards a rise known as the “Dragon Knoll.” After reporting the sighting, the 1st Battalion Commander ordered a platoon-sized unit from A Company, 1/14, located at a nearby firebase to pursue the enemy. The 25-strong force walked off the firebase, crossed a wide stream, and began moving up the hill. About halfway up Dragon Knoll, they began receiving fire from a well-entrenched enemy. The Americans pressed the fight, killing seven NVA at the cost of one of their own. SP4 William G. Main Jr. died after being hit by gunfire in the face and neck while on the left flank during an envelopment maneuver. Six others were wounded. The casualties were medivacked to a field hospital near Pleiku. The following day, with an enemy force of unknown size occupying Dragon Knoll, A Company’s Commanding Officer called in artillery and fixed-wing support for about two hours. Napalm, high explosive ordinance, and 20mm cannon fire poured from the skies on the entrenched enemy. A Company later moved atop the knoll to discover five more dead NVA soldiers. They policed up two AK-47s and two American-type carbines from the battle area before moving back to their LZ from which they were extracted late in the afternoon. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, 1-14th.com, and information provided by Paul F. Scharfenkamp (October 2020)]