THE WALL OF FACES

Hey Ollie: We traded places in the Jungle that Day. You Died. I Survived. Thank You for Your Sacrifice so that I might Live. In Your Honor I did Not Waste My Life. ‘Greater Love has No Man than this, that a Man lay down His Life for His Friends.’ (John 15:13) I am Very Blessed!

Dear SSgt Roger Oliver, Thank you for your service as an Armor Reconnaissance Specialist. 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.

SSG Roger L. Oliver was an Armor Reconnaissance Specialist serving with Second Platoon, A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry. On May 24, 1969, SSG Oliver was the track commander on an Armored Combat Assault Vehicle (ACAV) during a reconnaissance in force mission by his unit’s base camp near Xuan Loc in Long Khanh Province, RVN. The previous two months A Troop had been pursuing North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong elements in thick jungle near Black Virgin Mountain in Tay Ninh Province to interdict a major enemy infiltration route for men and supplies. In their absence, A Troop had turned over their base camp to the 18th Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). Enemy activity had increased, so they were sent back to clean it up. On the first night back in their home area of operation, they set up a night defensive position (NDP), circling their tracked vehicles like covered wagons of the Wild West with weapons facing out. At midnight, their position was mortared. The enemy very efficiently dropped about a dozen 60mm mortar rounds from one side of A Troop’s positions to the other. This indicated to them that they knew they were present and were prepared to fight. Not until the next day did A Troop’s commanders realize that less than 1000 meters away was a large, well-concealed enemy bunker complex. It took until noon for their intelligence to realize how close they were. In preparation to assault the enemy position, A Troop assumed an attack formation which placed M48 Patton heavy tanks or M551 Sheridan tanks in three or four vehicle fronts and columns on each end to form a box around the enemy’s location. Oliver’s ACAV was on the right side of the box as were most of 2nd Platoon. First Platoon was on the right flank. The Americans opened fire with.50 caliber and dozens of M60 machine guns with the tanks firing high-explosive rounds. According to Oliver’s Silver Star citation, he was firing a .50 caliber machine gun on an enemy rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) team that was targeting A Troop’s armored vehicles. Oliver was killed instantly after his ACAV was hit by an RPG. The firefight continued until near dusk when a small helicopter came in to remove two severely wounded from the field. Oliver was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for bravery during the engagement. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, SSG Oliver’s Silver Star citation, and information provided by John J. Sorich III (December 2018)]

Alpha Troop had just returned to our old Base Camp Xuan Loc. We had been away since MId Feburary. Our troop A Troop spent the night outside the Base Camp. That night at Midnight we received about a dozen rounds of Mortar Fire that was very precisely placed and effective, no one was wounded. It did place us of alert the Sir Charles was watching us. To our Surprise the next day we discovered that we were near a sizable bunker complex, the assault started about 11am. It lasted till almost sundown. Sgt Oliver was wearing an orange towel his neck.............some of us wondered why he wanted to draw attention to him self. His vehicle was on the right column during the assault. IT was hit by and RPG and it killed Oliver instantly. I was also hit by RPG fire and wounded . MYrecovery took about two months before I was forced back into the field. Oliver was a well respected NCO.

Thank you for all that you did and all that you gave up for us at home. May your memory last many lifetimes to remind others about the love and dedication that you had for our great country.