THE WALL OF FACES

Say not in grief he is no more, but live in thankfulness that he was.

Dear Sgt Curtis Rainer, Thank you for your service as an Indirect Fire Infantryman with the 1st Cavalry. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Independence Day just passed. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Curtis lived with my grandparents for a while in high school. He was my uncle Jimmy Don Porter’s best friend. I was just a young child living there after my mother and father divorced. I never knew until later that Curtis was not one of my uncles. But honestly, Curtis was and is my uncle. I Loved him as much as any family member and still miss him. He was the kindest and loving people I have ever known. I remember when my grandparents and I took him to Carswell AFB for his deployment to Vietnam. It was a truly sad day for our whole family. Little did I know it would be the last time we would see him alive. I was also the one who answered the door the day the officer and Chaplin came to tell my grandparents Curtis had been killed in action. As a small boy, it was a truly terrifying day that has stuck with me for over 51 years as one of the single saddest days of my life.
God bless you Curtis Hall Rainer. I only wish I could have had more time to truly know the man that has left such an impression on my life. You were very loved by all that knew you and are not forgotten.

Tex Rainer was in my Platoon and I have a picture of him getting hot food in the field.
My cell number is 917-403-5596

On November 26, 1968, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H from the 15th Medical Battalion was conducting a medical evacuation when it was shot down near Quan Loi and crashed and burned. There were no survivors. The lost crewmen included pilots CWO James D. Doran and 1LT Stephen C. Beals, crew chief SP4 John S. Alling Jr., and medics SP5 Johnny G. Gregg and CPL Robert E. Jones. There were six passengers aboard at the time of the shoot down. They included PFC Roger D. Algire, SP4 William M. Ebel, SP4 Bobby J. Perkins, SP4 Pietro Piconi, SP4 Curtis H. Rainer, and SP4 Patrick E. Smith. Also aboard was the body of PFC Lloyd A. Chess, who was killed in action previous to the attempted medical extraction. Chess was posthumously promoted to Corporal. The aircraft went down northwest of LZ Rita. The medevac reportedly received heavy ground fire and crashed roughly three miles south of the Cambodian border. At the time of the shoot down, all infantry companies in the vicinity had received orders to move south or southwest in a hurry to clear the area for an impending B-52 Arc Light strike. Two rifle companies were airlifted back to the location of the downed medevac. On November 28th (Thanksgiving Day), they located the wreckage and the bodies, confirmed the fatalities, and called for recovery assistance. All the bodies were recovered and airlifted back to Quan Loi. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and vhpa.org]