THE WALL OF FACES

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First Lieutenant Dee Wayne Stone Jr., Served with the 119th Assault Helicopter Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army Vietnam.

1LT Dee Wayne Stone Jr. was an alumnus of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. He was one of 335 men from West Point who died or are MIA in Southeast Asia/Indochina during the period October, 1957 – September, 1972. “Well done; Be thou at peace.”

Dear 1LT Dee Wayne Stone Jr, 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

From After Action Report: 11 November 1966: A battalion quick-reaction lift of the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry was accomplished this date, but not without a tragic loss of three members of the company and a total of three gunships. A Special Forces MIKE force was surrounded approximately 200 meters from the Cambodian border and had suffered 70 casualties. A total of eighteen slicks and six guns were involved in the assault to place the 1st of the 12th in a fire base position. Three guns were lost with a loss of seven lives and five wounded. 1LT Dee W. Stone (KIA), SP4 Edmond Schoenig (KIA), and Captain Walter R. Speare (KIA), who has been keeping this daily account of the company. The gunner, SP4 Gennardo (rescued), crawled nearly 1,000 meters through an airstrike and artillery barrage to the landing zone, although severely burned. One of the guns crashed on an enemy anti-aircraft emplacement, destroying the machine gun and the three enemy team members. In conjunction with this lift, a company of troops was airlifted to the Special Forces landing zone, without loss or injury, and effected rescue of the remaining force. Following the mission it was found that in the immediate vicinity of the original landing zone, two companies of 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine guns were located. CAPT Speare and his crew were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their actions. Major Edwards, Major Gosney, Captain Courts, WO1 Williams, SGT Tomphins, PFC Bohannon, SP4 McAda, and PFC Spellman were all cited for heroism. [Taken from vhpa.org]