THE WALL OF FACES

Remember to save for them a place inside of you, and save one backward glance when you are leaving, for the places they can no longer go...

Dear Sgt John Martin , Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Your 75th birthday was this month, happy birthday. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Father’s Day just passed, and it’s summer. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

A correction to another post under John. He was a sergeant serving with the 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 5/46 LIB, Americal Division. He died south of Chu Lai. I served with this wonderful man and had the greatest respect for him. He will always be my friend. I just want the record set straight.

It was a pleasure to serve with you in Vietnam. You were a great Sgt. and a good friend. You and Birky had plans for after the Army, but the day you died they died with you. Thanks for being such a special member of our platoon family. I will never forget you.

On 08 July 1969 the 3rd Platoon, A Company 1/502nd Infantry, was conducting a sweep in a valley near the hamlet of Ma Cau, just north of the only slightly larger village of Hau Duc. The point squad was ambushed by North Vietnamese soldiers and the following squad moved up to help - but there were sufficient NVA forces to cut off both squads from the remainder of the platoon. The last radio contact with the encircled US force was at 1445 (2:45 pm) on 08 July. Air and artillery fires were used to cordon off the last known US position while reinforcements were moved in, but nightfall precluded a movement to contact. At first light on 09 July elements of 1/502 moved forward and by 0900 had made contact with the surviving US soldiers. Eleven Americans died as a result of the ambush:

SSG James C. Doloughty, Pittsburgh, PA (Died of wounds on 09 Jul 1969)
SGT Russell B. Carson, Greentown, OH
SGT William R. Garner, Burlington, NC
SGT James H. Manning, Haddam, CT
CPL Henry D. Hunter, Omaha, NE
CPL Thomas W. Hurlbut, Byron Center, MI
CPL John D. Martin, Jasper, TN
PFC Vernon D. Artis, Washington, DC
PFC Thomas Brooks, Augusta, GA
PFC Anthony A. Neville, Hyattsville, MD
PFC William E. Sisley, Angola, NY