THE WALL OF FACES

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.

Fire Support Base (FSB) Bastogne was located along the northside of Highway 547, approximately ten miles southwest of Hue in Thua Thien Province, RVN. Construction on Bastogne began in the spring of 1968 during Operation Delaware, the U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) effort to dislodge the North Vietnamese Army from the A Shau Valley. A year later, on the early morning of May 12, 1969, C Battery, 1st Battalion, 83rd Artillery was at the firebase when enemy rocket-propelled grenade and mortar rounds began impacting the battery area. Because of a move scheduled for the following day, the powder and projectile bunkers had been torn down, leaving the ammunition exposed. Powder in the #4-gun pit began burning and the projectiles started exploding. The blasts wounded nineteen personnel including the battery commander and executive officer (XO). It was estimated that only one or two personnel were wounded as a direct result of enemy fire, the rest from exploding munitions. One of the wounded, battery aidman SP4 Fred H. Paddleford, was flown to the navy hospital ship USS Repose (AH-16) where he succumbed to his injuries May 18, 1969. He was posthumously promoted to Sergeant. During the same action, two Silver Stars medals were awarded after the XO and an E-5 section chief braved flames and explosions and moved two M107 175 mm self-propelled guns off their burning pads to a protected location, saving them from imminent destruction. When the 1/83rd completed its move, Paddleford was memorialized at FSB Blaze by his unit during a ceremony three days following his death. The service was conducted by a chaplain from the 27th Engineers and the 1/83rd’s Battalion Surgeon. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, 1stbn83rdartyvietnam.com, and “The Scorpion” (a 1/83rd publication), May 1969; Image: memorial service for Paddleford at FSB Blaze on 05/21/1969]

SGT Fred H. Paddleford was memorialized by his unit during a ceremony three days following his death at FSB Blaze in Thua Thien Province, RVN. The service was conducted by a chaplain from the 27th Engineers and the 1/83rd’s Battalion Surgeon. [Image from 1stbn83rdartyvietnam.com]

Never forgotten.

HOOAH, Doc

I remember Fred like it was yesterday. I met him when we were both assigned to HHB, 1st BN, 83rd FA. He was a medic and I was the S-3 operations specialist (clerk). He was easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. He was bored in our relatively safe HQ environment and felt that he needed to be where his skills were more needed. Unfortunately, that desire would put him in harm's way. That said, he was doing what he felt he needed to do, making sure that his comrades returned home. He was assisting the injured in spite of the fact that he was in mortal danger. Fred's passing will always stick with me as his was the only 1/83 FA combat fatality during the 12 months and 18 days that I spent in-country. RIP Fred. You earned it.