THE WALL OF FACES

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Dear Sp4 John Strate, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman with the 1st Cavalry. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is Memorial Day weekend , and we honor you. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

I've thought of you often over the ladt 50 yrs.John and I were in 2nd platoon Bco 2/12th cav. 1st air cav. Proud to have fought alongside you. BAD BET!

John was my big brother. Reading through the remembrances gives me something almost tangible. John's been gone a lifetime. I wonder what he'd be doing now. He was a terrible tease. He gave me a love for climbing, a toughness that neither of us knew I would need. He taught me how to shoot a rifle, I think I was about 7 or 8. He loved Hershey chocolate bars. If you can share your memories, I want to hear them. I wonder if he ever talked about me in War. RIP dear brother, never forgotten, always adored

Landing Zone Nancy, located a few kilometers from Quang Tri City, was built by the 1st Cavalry Division around the beginning of 1968 as part of the U.S. build-up of forces in Quang Tri Province, RVN. By mid-August 1968, LZ Nancy was home to artillery and engineer units as well as infantrymen. On the night of August 16th, LZ Nancy was attacked by NVA forces which were able to penetrate the perimeter defenses. Dense jungle and foliage had not been cleared around the edges of LZ Nancy, and the brush-end bamboo and timber thickets that grew right up to the perimeter gave the enemy a covered route of movement and provided a concealed place for observing Nancy’s fortifications. When the attack began, enemy sappers were already within the defensive positions of Nancy. When their mortars began falling, the enemy was able to destroy bunkers and tents before U.S. forces were even alerted. By the time the NVA withdrew at dawn, the bloody fighting had resulted in 20 U.S. killed in action. They included SP4 John D. Strate, CPL George R. Anderson, SGT Darrel E. Barnhouse, PFC David R. Boever, PFC John E. Cumbry, PFC Charles M. Hardy, PFC Otis L. Hartry, SP4 Gary D. Bowling, SP4 Jerry L. Wilson, PFC Elliott L. De Cora, SSGT Jeppie J. Payne, PFC Joseph F. Ribeiro, PFC John L. Began, SP4 Robert M. Cravens Jr., PFC John P. Cook, SP4 Paul L. Huff, SGT Patrick L. Kortesmaki, PFC Thomas L. Mericantante, SP4 Robert M. Reynolds, and SP4 Terry R. Zimmerman. Following the disastrous attack, a swath ranging in depth from 500 to 1000 meters (including 200 to 500 meters on the opposite side of the river bordering LZ Nancy on the south) was cleared in the dense foliage that had previously concealed the approach and departure of the attacking force. [Taken from virtualwall.org and “Lessons Learned, Headquarters, 14th Engineer Battalion (Combat), Period Ending 31 October 1968” at dtic.mil]