THE WALL OF FACES

Say not in grief he is no more, but live in thankfulness that he was.

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.

Phu Loi Base Camp was located approximately twelve miles north of Saigon in Binh Duong Province, RVN. It was originally established by the Japanese in the 1940’s, then was a French prisoner of war camp for captured Viet Minh. Following the end of the First Indochina War, it was used to imprison opponents of President Ngo Dinh Diem’s government. In 1965, the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division built a base at Phu Loi to run its operations in Binh Duong Province. South of the base was a Viet Cong (VC) stronghold, and the facility came under periodic rocket and mortar fire. On August 1, 1968, a patrol was launched from the main gate to sweep about 1000 yards south after enemy activity had been detected at a nearby VC tunnel complex. The patrol was a mix of personnel from noncombat backgrounds taking turns participating in base security to others who sought “action” and volunteered to accompany the sweeps. One of the volunteers was PFC Earl A. Okumura, a helicopter mechanic from the 701st Maintenance Battalion. He agreed to take the slack position behind the point man as the patrol moved through a rice paddy below a line of heavy vegetation. Sudden movement in the undergrowth alerted the point element, and they turned to move out of the rice paddy. At about the same time, an enemy combatant popped up out of the brush and fired a burst at Okumura with an AK-47, striking him several times. The point man cut down the shooter with a burst of his own from a M16. A firefight developed as the Americans and VC traded small arms, hand grenade, and rocket fire. A reaction force with an armored personnel carrier (APC) arrived to reinforce the besieged patrol, prompting the enemy to break contact. Despite the best efforts of medics, Okumura died before he could be evacuated. His body was placed on the APC and taken to a medivac helicopter which carried his remains from the field. Okumura was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart medal; three members of his patrol won medals for gallantry in action against the enemy. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, wikipedia.org, and information provided by Steve Banko (June 2022)]

Dear PFC Earl Okumura, Thank you for your service as an UH-1 Helicopter Repairer. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Presidents’, and Valentine’s Days just passed, and Lent has begun. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Thank you for stepping up and answering your country's call. Rest easy knowing you will never be forgotten.