THE WALL OF FACES

RIP my friend. You are remembered.

Never forgotten.

Semper Fortis

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your sister Barb attests to her love and respect for you. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us...

Fireman Joseph Frank Benak, Served aboard Assault Support Patrol Boat 6849 (ASPB-6849), River Assault Squadron 15 (RIVRON-15), Task Force 117 (TF-117), United States Naval Forces Vietnam (USNAVFORV).

FN Joseph F. Benak and BM3 Larry R. Dameron were crewmen on the U. S. Navy Assault Support Patrol Boat 6849 (ASPB-6849) of River Assault Division 153. On the early morning of December 11, 1969, ASPB-6849 was nosed in to the beach at the Special Forces Camp at Bin Chua on the Vam Co Dong River, six miles northwest of Moc Hoa in Kien Tuong Province, RVN, when they received 82mm mortar, B-40 rocket and automatic weapons fire. Four river patrol boats (PBR’s) were scrambled to the scene along with an U.S. Army Light Fire Team and Navy Black Pony OV-10 aircraft that were diverted to the area. Enroute, the PBR’s received B-40 and automatic weapons fire from a portion of Binh Chau village along a west fork in the river. The fire was not returned. Damaged in the attack, ASPB-6849 was able to pull away from the shoreline and head to Moc Hoa. Shortly thereafter, the Special Forces camp came under ground assault, and the Army advisor there requested emergency extraction and medevac. The evacuation was done by PBR’s as the enemy forces entered the camp and drove the defenders to retreat to the south perimeter. A combination of Allied aircraft and water-borne assets helped drive the enemy from the camp, and at 3:06 AM it was retaken by the defenders. During the attack on ASPB-6849, FN Benak and BM3 Dameron suffered fatal wounds, and two other U.S. sailors were seriously wounded. A Special Forces agent reported that 27 Viet Cong were killed and 13 more wounded in the attack. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]