THE WALL OF FACES

Today I honour you. I never met you but read about you. I rode a motorcycle across America on RUN FOR THE WALL in your honour three times. All we have in common is our surname. Rest in peace Sir and know that you are not forgotten.
This comes from a boy born in South Africa and now living in New Zealand.
I ride for those who can't.
Edwin Musto - aka THUMB

War drew us from our homeland
In the sunlit springtime of our youth.
Those who did not come back alive remain
in perpetual springtime -- forever young --
And a part of them is with us always.

RIP my brother.

Operation Paul Revere IV was a U.S. Army operation that took place in the Plei Trap Valley near the Vietnam-Cambodia border, lasting from October 20 to December 30, 1966. In early October 1966, U.S. intelligence reported a buildup of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units near Plei Djereng and Duc Co Special Forces Camps southeast of the Plei Trap Valley. On October 22nd, the 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division was combat assaulted into Plei Djereng and began sweeping west towards the border. The 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry, one of four battalions participating in the operation, placed B Company, 2/8 on a mountain top where they dug in. On the early morning of the 29th, five men in a listening post some 300 yards outside the company perimeter detected movement through the Starlight night-vision device they carried. They were instructed to toss grenades at the approaching enemy and return to friendly lines. At 2:30 AM, B Company began receiving accurate rocket and mortar fire on their position after flares placed in the trees above them at the behest of the company commander were illuminated. The company then received a sustained ground attack by an estimated NVA battalion. The Americans fought back with unit weapons supported by fixed-wing gunship and artillery fire. The enemy broke contact at 10:40 AM, leaving numerous dead behind. U.S. losses were six killed and twenty-three wounded. The lost personnel included SSG Raymond Pearl Jr., SP4 Carroll D. Abbott, PFC Robert D. Benton, SP4 Raymond Doss, PFC Richard F. Musto, and PFC Daniel B. Nolff. After the fighting subsided, a landing zone (LZ) was hastily cut so medivac aircraft could remove the seriously wounded and dead. Army engineers later arrived with chain saws and expanded the LZ for further medivac and resupply of the besieged company. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by William H. Whittley (July 2021)]

Dear PFC Richard Musto, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is the 11th Day of Christmas, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.