THE WALL OF FACES

Fifty plus years have passed since his death and I have often thought about Ron over those intervening years but the dictums of life sabotaged speaking out. On several occasions I have visited the Vietnam Memorial thinking that I would leave an anonymous letter offering an explanation of Ron’s death hoping it would somehow make its way to Ron’s family. Today, Ron would have been 76 had he lived, perhaps a father, a grandfather. Ron was assigned to the Technical Research Unit (TRU) at MACV HQ in early January 1971 in a detail from the 509th RRU Group, as a Vietnamese linguist/interpreter/translator where I was serving as acting OIC. Ron died a tragic death three months later in the alleyways in Saigon. Because of the sensitive nature of their work the majority of the TRU members were designated civilian status and lived on the local economy or with a contract agency and were somewhat immune from typical military regimen. Most team members had one or two tours under their belt working independently without much oversight. Therefore the TRU was a close knit unit with individual members looking out for each other. On the morning of March 12 Ron was uncharacteristically late for duty when I asked one of his fellow linguists to go to his quarters to check on his well being. Sadly, shortly thereafter I received a call from the Army CID asking me to come to Tan Son Nhut Air Base mortuary to identify a casualty they believed to be that of Ron. According to their report, Ron and his Vietnamese girlfriend were having lunch the previous afternoon discussing the purchase of a Honda scooter for her and openly displaying the funds needed for the purchase. As Ron and his girlfriend left the restaurant, they were attacked by a gang of Saigon ‘Cowboys’ or street thugs who had overheard and witnessed their plans. I have always hoped this tragedy was not a setup and their relationship was truly one of mutual attraction by two young people from different cultures. While any cause of death in a combat zone is devastating and tragic for the deceased’s family, I felt at the time as I still do today that his parents and family had the right to know what had happened to their son and sibling as alien as it may have been to the way Ron was reared. Despite my objections, the Army for whatever reason chose a more veiled rationale for Ron’s death. I apologize for not being more forthcoming and I offer my belated condolences for the resulting grief and sadness.

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 sunlight 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.

SP5 Ronald R. Northrop was a Vietnamese language translator-interpreter serving with Headquarters & Services Company (HSC), 509th Radio Research Group, U.S. Army Security Agency. Radio Research Units (RRU) operated in Vietnam under the direction of the U.S. Army Security Agency Group. Their work included intercepting Morse code and voice communications of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, then forwarding the captured intelligence to division commanders in pursuit of their tactical war-fighting operations. Northrup arrived in Vietnam in January 1971. The mission of Northrop’s unit (HSC) was to provide administrative and logistical support to the personnel assigned or attached to Headquarters, 509th Radio Research Group. After serving in Phu Bai, he was transferred to the capital Saigon. He was assigned a BEQ (Bachelor’s Enlisted Quarters) apartment he shared with another American enlisted man; however, he reportedly rarely stayed there, instead living in an unauthorized apartment with a Vietnamese girlfriend. At 10:00 PM on March 10, 1971, Northrup was assaulted, stabbed, and robbed by several unknown Vietnamese individuals two kilometers (1.2 miles) south of Central Saigon. He was admitted to the 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon a little after midnight on March 11th in critical condition with lacerations to the face and chest; he expired shortly after. Northrup was 23 years old. His body was forwarded to the U.S. Army Mortuary at Tan Son Nhut Air Base and turned over to Graves Registration personnel. After processing, the remains were transported to Travis Air Force Base in California before being returned to his family in Missouri. During the inventorying of his personal property at the BEQ following his death, many items were found to be missing, including a watch, binoculars, an Instamatic camera, a large camera, and camera case. Furthermore, while being interviewed about the missing items, his roommate at the BEQ mentioned that Northrop told him his girlfriend was having financial difficulties and once stole money from him, and that after his death, the safe where Northrop had kept his cash was opened and missing money. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and asalives.org]

Dear Sp5 Ronald Northrop, Thank you for your service as a Translator - Interpreter - Linguist. I researched you on the 50th anniversary of the start of your tour. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Ronnie, was my cousin, two things come to mind when I think of him, one when his snake got loose in their house in Joplin and and the day we found out about his passing. (Ronnie, I hope you see me putting flowers on your grave every year)

Becky