THE WALL OF FACES

Operation Mameluke Thrust (May 19 - October 23, 1968) was a U.S. Marine Corps operation southwest of Da Nang in Quang Nam Province, RVN. The 1st Marine Division was ordered to conduct spoiling attacks into the valleys west of Da Nang and around Thuong Duc Special Forces (SF) Camp. The loss of nearby Kham Duc SF Camp a week earlier raised concerns that the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) would next seek to overrun Thuong Duc. As part of the operation, the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines were tasked with keeping National Route QL-5 open to An Hoa, and QL-14 open to Thuong Duc. On July 27th, Company K, 3/7, began a sweep into the southwestern “Dodge City” area, a region known to be the staging area and command post for NVA and Viet Cong troops planning attacks on U.S. bases at Da Nang located 10 miles south. At 2:00 PM the following day, 2nd Platoon, K/3/7, was moving through an open rice field at Giao Nghi, five kilometers (3.0 miles) east of the Dai Loc-Ai Nghia Bridge, when they began receiving heavy machine gun and automatic weapons fire from an estimated reinforced NVA company concealed in bunkers in a tree line. The rest of K Company moved to assist and became pinned down with 2nd Platoon in the open rice paddy with little cover. The Marines returned fire with unit weapons and called artillery and air strikes on the enemy positions. L/3/7 and a platoon from M/3/7 were dispatched to assist the beleaguered Marines who were unable to move in any direction. With the supporting arms, the Marines assaulted the enemy fortifications, enabling others to retrieve their fallen comrades. Eighteen Marines and one Navy corpsman were killed in the fighting and another 40 were wounded requiring evacuation. The lost personnel included 2LT William S. Smoyer, SSGT David L. Brooks, HM3 Wayne M. Caron (posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor), CPL Edward J. Downs (posthumously awarded the Silver Star), CPL Philip L. Gosselin, CPL Daniel E. Lloyd, CPL Anthony C. Pino, CPL John R. Serrano (posthumously awarded the Silver Star), LCPL George S. Johnson, LCPL Douglas M. Kelly, LCPL Robert C. Lee, LCPL James C. Markel Jr., LCPL Carl R. Miller, LCPL Raphael J. Rendon, LCPL Richard E. Urban, PFC John M. Lancaster, PFC Jorge Martinez (posthumously awarded the Silver Star), PVT John E. Rice, and PVT John J. Till. Enemy losses were put at five NVA dead. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Command Chronology [3d Bn 7th Marines” at ttu.edu]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your sister Nancy in which she quotes remembrances from others who knew you attest to their admiration and respect for you. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever…

This picture is in the Edgartown (Mass.) Tennis Club.

Dear Lt William Smoyer, Thank you for your service as a Basic Infantry Officer. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is Spring , and Lent. Time moves quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

William, the son of Stanley C. Smoyer and Barbara B. Smoyer of Princeton NJ enlisted in the US Marine Corps on January 5, 1968 and recieved his Commission as a 2dLT in Quantico VA. He arrived in Vietnam on July 2, 1968 and was assigned as a Platoon Commander to Company K, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, (Rein) FMF.

On the morning of 28 July Company K moved out from the village complex of Da Hoa in an area known to the Marines as "DODGE CITY' towards the east, the third platoon began to receive some harassing rifle fire which ceased abruptly. Within a short period of time, the men heard an eruption of gunfire from the direction of the second platoon; their comrades had ventured into a prepared enemy ambush and were under devastating fire. The NVA were hidden in concealed fortified positions along a tree line at the edge of wide open rice paddies and had been waiting for the approaching Marines who were strung out in a column along the rice paddy dikes. At the appropriate time, the enemy, estimated to have been a Company sized force opened up with all available fire power it had cutting down many of the Marines approaching them. The third platoon quickly reacted towards the battle but was immediately pinned down by machine gun and automatic weapons fire which raked the men.

A large number of casualties were taken by the Marines who found themselves with little cover in open rice paddies; reaction forces from Company L and M were dispatched to assist the beleaguered Marines who were unable to move in any direction and had little cover. Marines assaulted the enemy fortifications, enabling others in attempting to retrieve their fallen comrades, artillery, fixed wing and air strike missions were called in on the enemy positions helping to relieve some of the pressure on the men under fire. By late afternoon Company K was able to link up with the men from Company L and M, moving with their casualties to a secured LZ (Landing Zone) to evacuate their dead and wounded.

The day proved to be a costly one for the Marines, Company K lost seventeen men who were killed in action, including their US Navy Corpsman, many more were wounded and evacuated. Company M had one Marine killed and five wounded, a Radio Operator was killed and the FO (Forward Observer) from Battery I, 11th Marines was wounded during the battle.

One of the casualties was 2dLT Smoyer, he was killed in action as a result of multiple hostile gunshot wounds.