THE WALL OF FACES

May those who served never be forgotten. Rest in peace SP4. Bell, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

Specialist Four David Leroy Bell, Served with the 21st Supply and Service Company, 54th General Support Group, United States Army Vietnam Support Command (Cam Ranh Bay), 1st Logistical Command, United States Army Vietnam.

DEAR SPEC 4 BELL,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A MATERIAL CONTROL & ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST. I WISH YOU DID NOT DIE SO CLOSE TO YOUR BIRTHDAY, AND ON VALENTINE'S DAY. SIGH. IT IS A NEW YEAR, WHICH MAKES IT FAR TOO LONG FOR YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR SACRIFICE. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE.. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE.

On February 14, 1969, a convoy of thirty-four 5-ton cargo trucks, seven 2 ½-ton cargo trucks, five Han Jin (Korean contract) reefers, three Han Jin dry goods vans led by 1LT Jay M. Shelley, 512th Transportation Company, headed west from Qui Nhon toward Pleiku. The convoy was escorted by four gun jeeps and five gun trucks of the 523rd spaced evenly throughout the convoy. The Eve of Destruction was the first gun truck and at 0925 hours SP5 Steve Calibro saw the smoke trail of a rocket coming at him from the left front, but at first did not know what it was. It flew over the driver’s side fender as if the enemy was trying to hit the front of the truck. It missed the cab, cleared the door and hit the steel plating on box right behind the driver’s head, and exploded in the box. The rocket surprisingly did not wound Calibro. The lead 5-ton cargo truck, driven by SP4 Gary C. Mintz, came to a stop, causing the next 5-ton and the Eve of Destruction behind it to stop. The gunners in the Eve swung their weapons around and engaged the enemy. The convoy was attacked from both sides of the road in an L-shaped ambush with rockets, satchel charges, automatic weapons and small arms by approximately 50 NVA soldiers along a 400-meter kill zone a half mile from Bridge 19. The enemy damaged the 5-ton cargo truck with either a satchel charge or rocket. Immediately, two gun trucks, Iron Butterfly and Ace of Spades, and two gun jeeps, one with 1LT Shelley, raced into kill zone and laid down suppressive fire to the south side of the road where the main enemy force was. An AK-47 round came across the left .50, nicked the wooden hand grip, and wounded Calibro in the arm. Cobra gunships arrived within 10 minutes and 1LT Shelley came, put Calibro in his jeep and then hauled him to fire base where he waited for a helicopter while the ambush was still going on. The other gunner’s wounds were not very serious, so he stayed in the Eve. The nearest infantry arrived with three APCs 15 minutes after the ambush began and the enemy broke contact 25 minutes later at 1005 hours. The ambush lasted 40 minutes with one US driver, SP4 David L. Bell, killed from the 512th, eight wounded (five from the 523rd, two from the 669th and one from the 512th) and five confirmed enemy killed. In addition to the initial damage to the 5-ton cargo and Eve of Destruction, two 5-ton cargo, one 2½-ton cargo trucks, a gun jeep and one other gun truck were damaged. Calibro earned the Bronze Star medal with V device for his actions during the ambush. One of the wounded was SP4 Bobby Newman and in less than a month he would be hit again. [Taken from vietnam-guntrucks.com]