THE WALL OF FACES

There is a place
Not far from here
Where spirits walk
And heroes live
And honor still resides.

It is a wall
With names inscribed
Of those who served
When they were asked...
The brothers of my youth.

I go there still
To walk and think
About my life,
And what I've done since
And things that might have been.

There is a debt
I can't repay
Too many lives were spent.
And one man's life cannot suffice
To make their deaths worthwhile.

But there is hope
In the memory
Of those we leave behind
Who know the price that freedom brings
Who can carry on in kind.

I send you now
To touch a name
So the vision can be passed
Remember there is honor still
It is for you to see it lasts.

They are not dead
And have a wish
As all old soldiers do
The reflection you see before you now
Is their wish to live in you.

On the late morning of May 7, 1970, the 61st Assault Helicopter Company was conducting a troop lift of U.S. 4th Infantry Division personnel during the Cambodian incursion when one of their helicopters went down. The aircraft, a UH-1H (#68-16396) crashed on the south slope of Hill 275, nine miles southwest of Plei Djereng Air Field in Pleiku Province, RVN. The helicopter reportedly suffered an engine failure and the crew attempted autorotation over heavy jungle. The co-pilot, WO1 Robert P. Sheppard, was flying the aircraft when power was lost, and was on the controls for the autorotation. On the way down, they took fire from an NVA unit below. The door gunner and crew chief returned fire with their M60 machine guns, and some of the passengers fired their weapons out the doors of the stricken aircraft. At a low altitude, Sheppard was hit in the head and slumped over the controls, putting the aircraft into a “hardover.” There was no time for anyone to pull him off the controls and the helicopter entered the trees inverted. Before passing through the jungle canopy, gunner SP4 John A. Shaw leapt from the aircraft. He sustained major injuries to his left side, head, and back. The aircraft went down near an NVA rally camp and enemy soldiers were observed swarming the crash site, shooting all the survivors. An OH-6A observation helicopter with a minigun circled the wreckage, firing at the enemy. Arriving gunships joined in, driving the NVA far enough away to begin recovery and rescue. Because Shaw was not in the wreckage, it took extra time to locate him. He was the only survivor. The lost personnel included aircraft commander WO1 Lawrence J. Herman III, co-pilot Sheppard, and crew chief SP5 William A. Peyton; the passengers were SGT John J. McCarthy, SP4 Wayne R. Bebo, SP4 Arthur N. Kangas, and PFC Richard J. Barber. After being rescued, Shaw was admitted to military hospitals in Vietnam, then medically evacuated to Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, CA, where he endured a lengthy convalescence. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, vhpa.org, and information provided by William E. Turpen and John A. Shaw (July 2022)]

Bill and arrived and served together from 1969 till his death in 1970. He was my older brother so to speak and I miss him every day. AGS SGA Brent Huston 61st AHC LZ English RVN 69-70. Honor to my hero.

Dear Sp5 William Peyton, Thank you for your service as a Flight Qualified Huey, UH-1 Helicopter Repairer. Your 51st anniversary is in 3 days, sad. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. The 46th anniversary of the fall of Saigon just passed, and it is still sad. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Was contacted by the family of my friend Bill and was able to fill in some of the blanks that the Army leaves.I know that Bill would have liked to know his family was made aware of his final days that I knew of. AGS SGA. Rest In Peace my Brother.