THE WALL OF FACES

I met WO1 Thomas R. Pursel in the 15th Med BnMedevac. He was a great pilot and I got to know him very well. We were so close that he even let me fly his helicopter in A Shau Valley while he manned my M-60. While I was flying low level LZ Stallion was been mortared in broad daylight. We flew thru the hell of A Shau Valley during April and May of 1968. We were brought back to Camp Evans by our Platoon Leader Major Goodman. On the day of May 19, 1968 we had had a late lunch. We were discussing what we were going to do together when we finished our tours. We received a mission south of Quang Tri. There were open rice paddies and the ground unit was behind a dike facing west. We came flying in to land on the dike. I was clearing right for Mr. Pursel to land our medevac to pick up the wounded. All of a sudden the ground unit began firing. I thought at first they were putting out suppressive fire. I cleared right again and then come on the voice of MAJ Norris saying, 'Oh My GOD, Pursel has been shot in the head!” I looked over from the right side to his left seat and saw blood coming out behind his head. A rage came thru me like I had never felt before. The sniper shot had come from the left side. I had to wait until the aircraft turned almost 120 degrees around. I started shooting at the trees about 900 feet away. My bullets hit the rice paddy. I fired again and the bullets hit farther out on the rice paddy. The 3rd time I was placing the rounds into the trees where everyone else was shooting because the helicopter had leveled out. I kept shooting as we were leaving. MAJ Norris said give it up seargent. I just kept on shooting. I felt like my whole family had died. The hurt was terrible and I finally stopped shooting my M-60 when the target was out of sight. It has been over 39 years and the memory of Thomas Pursel is still vivid in my mind as if it was yesterday. I write this with tears in my eyes. He will always have a place in my heart. I know if it was me I would have taken that bullet for him. Everyone one in Medevac loved Mr Pursel. Being so close to him as a friend, buddy, crew member on a rescue helicopter was great, but losing him when you have acquired this is a great sadness for me and others who loved him as a great person, friend, pilot and comrade. Forever remembering you, Murray Gibbs, October 2007. [Taken from thewall-usa.com]