THE WALL OF FACES

On 02 Apr 1970 a recon team from F Company, 75th Rangers, was sent into an area called the "Renegade Woods" to investigate reports of a large NVA/VC force. The Rangers found the enemy - all they could handle and more besides. Companies B and C, 2nd Bn, 27th Infantry, were inserted as the initial reaction force; A/2/27 joined in the late afternoon, and two additional companies from 2/22nd Infantry came in the next day. By the time the fighting ended several days later, over 100 NVA/VA troops from the 271st NVA/VC Regiment were dead, a large base camp was in American hands, and twelve American soldiers were dead:
• 2nd Bn, 27th Inf Rgt
o CPL Dwight H. Ball, Sardis, OH, A Company (KIA 04/03/1970)
o SGT John J. Lyons, Yonkers, NY, B Company
o SSG William T. Smith, Marshfield, WI, B Company
o SGT Mickey E. Griffith, San Gabriel, CA, C Company
o SSG Melvyn H. Kalili, Hauula, HI, C Company
o 1LT Ronald V. Kolb, Washington, DC, C Company
o SGT John E. Rarrick, Beaver Dams, NY, C Company (Dist Svc Cross)
o CPL Severiano Rios, Oak Creek, WI, C Company

• F Co, 75th Inf Rgt
o SFC Alvin W. Floyd, Augusta, GA, (Dist Svc Cross)
o SSG Michael F. Thomas, Louisville, KY
o SGT Donald W. Tinney, New York, NY (DoW 04/14/1970) (Silver Star)

• B Btry, 2nd Bn, 77th Arty Rgt
o 2LT Orville E. Kitchen, Dayton, OH

You were one of the brave that answered the call. You honored us by your service and sacrifice. We now honor you each time we stand and sing the words “THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE”. Rest in Peace and Honor Severiano.

Mr. Ríos... my name is Noelle Marie Gordon, and I'm from Florida. I know we've never met since I was born in 1999 in November the seventh and you died during the Vietnam War, but I've read about you on my online textbook. You have an ancestry, right? I'd read a poem by one of your ancestors in your last name, Alberto, about the Vietnam Wall. I have an ancestry, too. We have much in common, but I've also have a family tree. My family is much more different from yours, anyways, because my family? Really big one! I'm in high school with one of my big sisters, and you're in the army. Also, you have someone in your first name from Texas in the Vietnam War. He's different from you, too.

I like to surf the web. Even on my school laptop. I love to play video games. And I like listening to music and watching videos online. I have two documents on my big computer at my house: one about my life as a super heroine for myself, and one about both my life in the war against Lord Fuse and the new lives of five Andromeda Galaxy aliens that were originally re-captured by a Osmosian named Aggregor for the game Fusionfall.

In case you don't know, a laptop is like a smaller version of a big computer, but below the desktop's picture is apps for it.

I'm pretty much of a bookworm myself when researching on stuff like this, but I can also copy pictures online on the big computer, which I sometimes go on to which I'm not using my laptop. I have sixteen saved pictures on my picture folder, just like the example I have for my remembrance for you, and 283 ones on my iPhoto app on my MacBook Air. It's the name of my school laptop.

Well, so long for now. Rest in piece, my friend. The world's proud of you.

You were one of the brave that answered the call. You will always be in our harts, and you be remember. Our hero. I so proud of you.

Dear CPL Severiano Rios, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter