THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

Dear Sgt John Malcolm, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Time passes quickly, but it is an unusual time. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

SGT John D. "Jack" Malcolm is buried at Middlefield Cemetery in Middlefield, CT.

Your sacrifice is not forgotten.

HOOAH

On the morning of August 25, 1970, intelligence reports indicated that the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment's 3rd Squadron's command post located at FSB Bandit in Binh Duong Province, RVN, was to be hit by a Viet Cong (VC) mortar attack that night. An operations plan was formulated to send an Aero Rifle Platoon (ARP) with a tank platoon (five M48A2 Patton tanks) to arrive simultaneously at the enemy location and conduct a raid to disrupt the planned mortar attack. The tank platoon encountered a heavier than usual amount of thick jungle, and it was delayed by at least 30 minutes to the objective. The ARP arrived on time, and as such, was not yet supported by the tanks. Since the element of surprise had been lost, and the ARP had probably been observed by the VC upon landing, the Platoon leader ordered a movement into the objective area. After about 15 minutes of patrolling, the point element was suddenly raked by machine gun and small arms fire from a well-entrenched VC force. The squad leader on point was hit twice, in the elbow and collarbone, and went down. A platoon leader down the line, SGT John D. Malcolm, ran up to the point of contact but was hit by numerous bullets in the abdomen. SP4 Robert E. Koonce, in front of the wounded squad leader, braved intense enemy fire to crawl to him. While attempting to render aid, he was hit by a single round to the forehead and died instantly. The point squad’s medic, SP4 Jerrold L. Vesey, also suffered a fatal head wound. At the approach of the five Patton tanks, the enemy broke contact, leaving two of its dead behind. Two of the tanks knocked down foliage creating a landing zone for medivac aircraft. The wounded and dead were evacuated to the 93rd Evacuation Hospital in Long Binh. Malcom, still alive when placed on the evacuation helicopter, expired during the flight. A reconnaissance of the area the next day by another unit discovered numerous fresh graves in the area, an indicator of the damage inflicted on the enemy. Malcolm, Koonce, and Vesey were posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Douglas Haywood (August 2019)]

NEVER FORGET ... NEVER