THE WALL OF FACES

Operation Jefferson Glenn (September 5, 1970 - October 8, 1971) was the last major operation in which U.S. ground forces participated during the Vietnam War and the final major offensive in which the 101st Airborne Division fought. The purpose of the operation was to shield critical installations in Hue and Da Nang by patrolling rocket belts along the edge of the mountains. During the 399 days of operations, the Allied troops established multiple firebases throughout Thua Thien Province and regularly encountered North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) troops. In early November 1970, the 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 327th Infantry conducted search and attack operations in the Firebase Veghel area. At 1:40 PM on November 4th, a patrol from Second Platoon, 1/327th, with the command element attached, walked into an NVA ambush 17 miles southwest of Hue. Automatic weapons fire killed point man SGT Joseph M. Soto and company commander CPT Robert H. Bennett and mortally wounded Bennett’s radioman PFC Charles D. Hoffman. Despite his injuries, Hoffman remained on the radio with battalion headquarters and was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal. Helicopter gunships from the divisional aviation element supported the action while other elements of the brigade reinforced the pinned-down troops in contact. Heavy enemy fire delayed the evacuation of three other Americans wounded in the engagement. A landing zone (LZ) was established, and after extraction, the casualties were flown to Camp Eagle. The wounded were admitted to the 85th Evacuation Hospital and the dead were released to Graves Registration where they were positively identified by battalion personnel before being processed for return home. Seven enemy were killed, and one crew-served weapon was destroyed. Following the fighting, poor weather conditions and fog prevented the removal of the remaining troops by aircraft, and they remained overnight in the LZ. That evening, in an extraordinary show of support dispelling Army protocol, assistant division commander BG Sidney B. Berry flew in and spent the night in the jungle with the troops. In a cruel twist of irony, Soto was to be removed from the field the day he died as his rotation date home was approaching. Reportedly, the 11:00 AM flight out was pushed back to 2:00 PM, twenty minutes after the ambush occurred. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by J. Mark Reisetter and Dreafus C. Woods Jr. (July 2023)]

SO SORRY I NEVER KNEW YOU IN PERSON. I KNOW YOUR BROTHER GEORGE.
HE IS A STELLAR PERSON AND YOU WOULD BE VERY PROUD OF HIM.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrances from those who served under you attest to their respect for you. May you rest in eternal peace.

This day and the losses of fellow soldier from that day still haunt and follow me. Captain Benett was a great leader, have never forgotten him or the others. For all of us that made it home, always remember and bless those we lost.

Captain Robert Horace Bennett was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, with Combat Distinguishing Device (V) and 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, for his exemplary gallantry in action. He served as an Infantry Unit Commander and was assigned to C CO, 1ST BN, 327TH INFANTRY, 101ST ABN DIV.
See https://army.togetherweserved.com/
See also https://www.findagrave.com/