THE WALL OF FACES

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Never forgotten.

Semper Fortis

Dear PO3C Daniel Overright, Thank you for your service as a Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class. I researched you on your 52nd anniversary, sad. The anniversary anniversary of your identified was 3 days ago, sigh. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. 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.

On February 27, 1969, enemy rockets were lobbed at the Da Nang bridge loading ramp, destroying Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1500 and YFU-78, a harbor utility craft. LCU-1500 received a direct hit by a rocket of unknown size. Ammunition on the LCU was detonated and an explosion occurred with fire spreading to the nearby YFU. The attack probably would have caused few casualties except for the lucky hit on LCU-1500, which was fully laden with munitions for transport to Dong Ha in Quang Tri Province. It was mostly the secondary explosions and fires which killed the 22 sailors aboard LCU-1500, YFU-78 and NSA Da Nang. Another craft, LCU-1614, sustained minor damage by shrapnel. With the exception of one man from the LCU-1500, all aboard both boats were killed. Total U.S. Navy personnel casualties were reported at 22 Navy men killed and 38 wounded. The 22 men killed during the attack were: LCU-1500, Assault Craft Unit 1, NAVSUPACT Danang - BMC Donald J. Fisher, EN1 Bert E. Burton, EM1 Cecil F. Bush, CS2 Marvin D. Avery, RM2 David W. Hawryshko, GMG3 Ronald J. Gebbie, BM3 Donald M. Horton, BM3 Ronald P. Yuhas, FN Joseph F. Burinda Jr., SN Bruno W. Demata, FN Charles A. Tavares, and SA Craig E. Swagler; YFU-78, Assault Craft Unit 1, NAVSUPACT Danang - EN1 Earl T. Moore Jr., QM1 Milton Shapiro, CS2 Charlie M. Ellison, EM2 Lyle D. Zacher, QM3 Earnest J. Buckelew, BM3 Daniel L. Overright, and SN Melvin L. Sellers; Supply Operations, NAVSUPACT Danang - BM1 Manuel Martinez, SN Thomas E. Adams, and SN Theodore S. Hamner. [Taken from wardogs.com]

You and Bobby made the supreme sacrifice fro your country. I think of you always. When I get back to Bradley I'm going to the Legion memorail and have a beer with you.