THE WALL OF FACES

On May 8, 1967, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) tried to overrun the Marine position at Con Thien. The outpost, two miles from the DMZ, was on a hill 158 meters high in the middle of a red mud plain. At 2:55 AM, a green flare signaled the beginning of a punishing 300-round mortar and artillery attack. Enemy units breached a defensive wire, and small elements moved inside. At 4:00 AM, a reinforced NVA battalion attacked through the breach in the wire. Engineers supporting the Marines engaged in bitter hand-to-hand fighting. With reinforcements, the Marines halted the enemy penetration and sealed off the break in the wire just before daylight. Forty-four Marines were killed and one hundred ten wounded; three Navy corpsmen and two Army personnel were also killed. The lost 3rd Division Marines included: (A Co, 1/4) SGT Floyd L. Amos, PFC William M. Cain, PFC Charles W. Daut, LCPL Michael P. Finley (Navy Cross), CPL Robert J. Green, SSGT Donald L. Gustafson, CPL James E. Harmon, PFC James R. Huckleberry, LCPL Charles Jackson, CPL Gary H. Kreh (Silver Star), CPL Mariano Leija Jr., PFC Victor H. Montoya Jr., LCPL William E. Perry, LCPL Emmett J. Peters, PFC Ronald W. Sanders, LCPL James R. Valentine, and LCPL Henry R. Wicker; (D Co, 1/4) GYSGT Leroy Elliott, CPL John H. Boudreau, CPL Abel D. Garcia Jr., LCPL Denny L. Johnson (Bronze Star), LCPL Gary F. McCue, LCPL Calvin A. Parks, LCPL Leo J. Sullivan Jr., CPL Ralph H. Watington Jr. (Silver Star), PFC Edward V. Asip, PFC Kenneth V. Avery, PFC Leon L. Cornwell Jr., PFC Cecil R. Jenkins, PFC Robert L. Margolis, PFC Thomas V. Ruff Jr., PFC Donald Williams, PFC Vomer O. Wilson Jr., PVT Larry F. Jankowski, and PVT Jesus M. Limones (Silver Star); (H&S Co, 1/4) LCPL William C. Blades III, PFC Joseph J. Dodd, and PFC Richard A. Snyder; (1st AMTRAC) CPL David L. Cleveland and PFC Larry M. Langan; (3rd Shore Party Bn) PFC Thomas A. Johnson; (3rd Tank Bn) PFC James L. Lester Jr. and LCPL John E. Young; (12th Marines Arty) LCPL John C. Kopacska and LCPL Jimmy E. Page; the lost Navy corpsmen were HM3 John E. Laning (Silver Star), HM1 Arthur C. Perez, and HM3 John C. Tate; the U.S. Army personnel were SP4 James W. Cribbs and PFC Gerard J. Schneider (44th Arty). Enemy losses were one hundred ninety-seven killed and eight captured. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967” by Telfer, Rogers, and Fleming]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your sister Edie is especially poignant. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us....

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Thank you for stepping up and answering your country's call. Rest easy knowing you will never be forgotten.

DEAR LANCE CORPORAL BLADES,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A MORTARMAN. SEMPER FI. IT HAS BEEN FAR TOO LONG FOR ALL OF YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR SACRIFICE. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE.. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE. MANY OF US HAVE BEGUN OUR JOURNEY TO EASTER. AND YOU ARE ALL IN OUR PRAYERS.