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.

Just after midnight on April 13, 1968, E Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, was in an overnight position on a plateau east of LZ Center in Quang Tin Province, RVN, when they were attacked by a large enemy force. E Company, a reconnaissance unit with an attached platoon (2nd Platoon) from A/3/21, pulled in its forward observation posts after taking three rounds of mortar fire. Ten minutes later, heavy fire from the south raked the formation as small arms fire and hand grenades hit the U.S. position. Shortly after, a ground attack was launched by the enemy. The Americans fought back with unit weapons and called in gun and flare ship support. The attack aircraft came on station at 12:50 AM, including a U.S. Air Force AC-47 “Spooky” gunship; the enemy, meanwhile, brought up heavy machine guns and sprayed the aircraft with automatic weapons fire from four locations. After nearly an hour and a half of fighting, the enemy broke contact. At 1:30 AM, E/3/21 radioed that enemy fire had diminished, and no shots had been fired for thirty minutes. A Company, 3/21, acting as a reaction force, cut a trail through dense jungle to the besieged company’s location. Upon arrival, they found E Company in disarray. The battle was over, but they discovered the men had failed to dig in, and when attacked, were dispersed in a disordered manner to find cover. It was difficult in the darkness for the reaction force to find and treat the wounded, collect the dead, and organize medivacs. By daylight, all were accounted for except one, radioman SP4 Warren J. Robinson. His remains were located in a burnt out hootch on the plateau and were placed in a poncho and evacuated. The enemy force, later estimated at two Viet Cong companies, killed thirteen Americans and wounded twenty-eight. Another two sustained minor injuries. The lost personnel included (from E/3/21) SP4 John M. Bell, PFC James L. Parker Jr., SGT Paul E. Poirier, SP4 Alfred L. Powell, SGT Grady Thacker, SP4 Juan P. Valdez, and PFC George E. Winfield; and (from 2nd Platoon, A/3/21) PVT Roland L. Ballew, PFC Agapito Gonzales Jr., 1LT Randolph M. Harrison, PFC Douglas R. Heath, SSG Ernest E. Lesure, and SP4 Warren J. Robinson. Six Viet Cong were reported killed. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, “April 1968 Americal Division TOC Journal” at americalfoundation.org and information provided by William Karp (July 2022)]

I met John when he visited his good friend, Jeff, in Chico, Ca one summer. My sister,Jeff, John, & I palled around. Later, we visited his family in Moro Bay. I remember when John was drafted. He considered going to Canada, but decided to serve his country. He was conflicted about Viet Nam, but became quite serious about fulfilling his service assignments in Viet Nam. He wrote about how important it was to do his very best for the team. I heard his platoon was in a firefight. The radio operator was killed. John ran forward to call in air support for his team. He was killed in the action that followed. I went to the military service to honor his sacrifice. What a sad day that was for all of us! I always remember him on Memorial Day.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your high school friend Curt Shuman is especially poignant. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us....

Specialist Four John Martin Bell, Served with Company E, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, United States Army Vietnam.