THE WALL OF FACES

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

Dear Sgt James Rummel, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Halloween is this 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.

SGT James D. Rummel is buried at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Missoula, MT.

Your sacrifice is not forgotten.

HOOAH

Camp Holloway was a U.S. Army air base located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam along Route QL-19, approximately two miles east of Pleiku in Pleiku Province. The 52nd Security Detachment provided internal and external security at the airfield. The unit manned the perimeter and sent out reconnaissance and ambush patrols. They had their own mortar platoon that provided supporting fire for teams operating outside the wire. Their parent organization was the 52nd Aviation Battalion (Combat). One of the activities the detachment carried out was to staff Outpost 26 which was roughly a mile northeast of the base. On a nightly basis, patrols would go out and set up in ambush at different locations. They normally were six to eight men carrying combat packs. The squad would hump to a general location, wait for dark, then move into a final position where they arranged their ambush with Claymore mines and trip flares. At some point the mortar platoon would be informed of their location and fire random three-round groups at spots away from where the squad was. This harassment and interdiction fire was intended to reduce enemy morale and movement. In the early morning of June 13, 1970, the squad reported they had casualties after being hit by mortar fire. A reaction force was assembled, and they were carried to the squad’s location by aircraft scrambled from Holloway. The survivors were picked up and taken to the 71st Evacuation Hospital at the end of Holloway’s runway. It was soon determined that the fire had come from the detachment’s own mortar platoon. Since there was not a hostile force, the reaction team stood down. As soon as it was light, a group went out with a gun jeep and ¾-ton truck to pick up three members of the patrol who were fatally injured by the friendly fire. They included PFC James R. Moore Jr., SGT James D. Rummel, and PFC Donnie R. Sizemore. The dead were placed body bags and put on the truck with their gear. A few days after the incident, a memorial service was held at the base chapel. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Yearbook - Security Force, 52nd Security Detachment, Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Vietnam” at ttu.edu; also, information provided by Bruce Bartow (April 2020)]

SGT Rummel would often stop by the 52nd Battalion Personnel Office to talk about anything or nothing and I always enjoyed our conversations - he was a fine young man who should still be alive and enjoying life and his family today. It was a sad day when he passed. Regards to his family and friends. Frank Terrell, CWO-4 (US Army, Retired), 52nd Battalion Personnel Officer at that time.