THE WALL OF FACES

War drew us from our homeland
In the sunlit springtime of our youth.
Those who did not come back alive remain
in perpetual springtime -- forever young --
And a part of them is with us always.

Never forgotten.

Semper Fortis

Dear FN Erik Rudziak, Thank you for your service as an Engineman Fireman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Halloween is next weekend. Time moves quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Cua Viet is the name most often used to describe the Naval Support Activity Detachment immediately adjacent on the western border of the U.S. Marine Amtrac base called Camp Kistler, located at the mouth of the Cua Viet River, bordering the Gulf of Tonkin. It is 3 1/2 miles south of the southern boundary of the DMZ. The mission of the Amtracs and patrol boats is to deny enemy access to the Cua Viet River and protect the flow of supplies to Dong Ha. The Dong Ha River Security Group patrols had five areas which were code named One Lima through Five Lima. On January 16, 1969, a mine in the Two Lima patrol area sank patrol boat YFU-62. Its back was broken by the explosion and resulted in the deaths of eight crewmen. The lost crewmen in the blast included EN2 Francis D. Campbell, EM2 Wendell A. Morrison, SM2 David L. Holdredge, CS2 Kenneth M. Russell, RMSN Milton J. Worrell, NFN Erik N. Rudziak, FN Alfred Bauer, and FN Edward E. Stockwell Jr. FN Bauer had been scheduled to rotate back to the U.S. three days after his death. [Taken from lcplriversecurity.com]

Graduated same year from Carlisle High School 1967. Was in same boot camp company at GLakes, Il. Departed boot camp December 1967 and went separate routes after boot camp.
RIP Erik