THE WALL OF FACES

In April 1968, the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, was placed at Ca Lu Combat Base on National Highway QL- 9 in Quang Tri Province, RVN, and assigned responsibility for securing the highway from Khe Sanh Combat Base to the coast. Golf Company, 2/9, under 3/1 control, provided the battalion extra military capability and were placed at bridges along the route. On the morning of April 18th, a squad (reinforced) from 2nd Platoon, Golf 2/9, positioned at Bridge 28 reported contact with North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces. The remainder of 2nd Platoon, Golf 2/9, accompanied by two tanks, moved out from Ca Lu to reinforce them and exploit the contact. When they arrived on scene, they found the NVA in well-concealed bunkers along the sides of a heavily vegetated ravine running north from the bridge. While the NVA had a fair field of fire against the bridge and both approaches to it, the Marines could bring only glancing fires against the bunkers. At 10:25 AM, a five-truck convoy of B Battery, 1/11 artillerymen from Khe Sanh attempted to run the gauntlet across Bridge 28. All five vehicles were hit by enemy fire resulting in numerous personnel killed and wounded. The artillerymen became stranded and engaged by fire from the ravine, and Golf 2/9 suffered heavy casualties attempting to extricate the dead and wounded from the convoy. On April 20th, Mike Company, 3/1 was helilifted onto the high ground north of the enemy positions and assault down the ravine. Golf 2/9 coordinated supporting fires on the enemy positions, and by nightfall, enemy fire had been reduced enough to allow movement across Bridge 28. By noon of the 22nd, QL-9 was declared open to traffic. A total of twenty-nine NVA had been killed versus twenty-five Marines. The Marines lost during the three-day fight at Bridge 28 included (B Battery, 1/11): CPL William Adams Jr., LCPL Donald R. Allen, and PFC Gilbert Mendoza; (Mike 3/1) CPL Don E. Davis, CPL Robert C. Hawes, LCPL Alexander Chisolm, LCPL John M. Vaughn, PFC Kent R. Bolter, PFC John L. Czechowski, PFC Eugene Harris, PFC Francis X. Kane, PFC Charles J. Rachon, and PFC Edward E. Whalen; (Golf 2/9) CPL Lawrence J. Snyder, CPL James D. Craft, LCPL Tomas Gonzales, LCPL Michael D. Padilla, LCPL Thomas J. Worley, LCPL William P. York, PFC Lee C. Adams, PFC Michael J. Caporale, PFC Neil H. Exum, PFC Andrew J. Payne, PFC Scott A. Wright, and PFC Lewis J. Young. [Taken from virtualwall.org and “Command Chronology (3rd Bn, 1st Marines) April 1968” at ttu.edu]

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

On the remembrance of your birthday, your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Forever 18.

Semper Fi, Marine.

To Our Dearest Bravest Brother, “Robert Kent Bolter “, Dear Bobby I won’t Ever Forget you! Robert The Day you left for Viet Nam I won’t Ever Forget! as I watched you walk out with your head held high! not knowing that was the last times we would see you here at home would see you go and I wouldn’t ever see you again So Handsome, So Distinguished looking So young,at the age of 18,yrs old and So Incredibly “Brave no one could ask for a better and Braver Brother to have a Braver Brother than you .that Day “and how Amazing! You looked you made us all proud of you and you always will and you could also play on your Guitar just before you left to go to Viet nam you played for all of us that great song the Song “ you Lost that Lovin Feelin” and Sing “ man could you sing and how Great you were , Always will be that Incredibly Brave Marine that can only make us all so proud of you! In every way possible the Best and Bravest Marine there can ever Be and the way you! could play on your guitar and how Beautifully you could play and sing “ you lost that loving feeling for all the neighborhood girls you were our Dream come true to us Enjoying your Beautiful voice we all love you so much we won’t Ever forget you gave us all a very Precious Gift from God and that’s you always and forever and how you made us our Dream come True by being so proud of your Beautiful Voice you were so full of Life in every way God Bless you for all you did Robert and how you made us all so proud “we Love you “our Brother Robert Kent Bolter and we won’t Ever Forget your Amazing Bravery you had given for our Country God Bless you Jesus loves you and so Do We always Forever to Heaven and Back in our Hearts and yours We won’t Ever Forget the Sacrafice you have for all of us and our country We Will Always Love You Forever from our Hearts to yours to Heaven and Back to your Always and Forever your Sister Susie Jensen Swope

DEAR PFC BOLTER,
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN INTERROGATION/TRANSLATION SPECIALIST. SEMPER FI. FRANKIE WAS ALSO KILLED IN QUANG TRI, SAY HI TO HIM. 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. YOU ARE ALL IN OUR PRAYERS. IT WAS JUST EASTER - GOD'S BLESSINGS ON YOU.