THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sit. It remains my fervent hope you will be returned home after the passage of so many years.

Dear Sgt James Talley, Thank you for your service as a Special Forces Qualified Infantryman. You are still MIS, and your 77th anniversary just passed. Please come home. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Today is the first day of summer. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it still needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Be at peace.

Never forget.

HOOAH

CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Sergeant James Lane Talley, United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations in the Republic of Vietnam, on 19 June 1964. As an Advisor, Sergeant Talley was accompanying a Vietnamese combat patrol on a search and clear operation when the friendly element engaged a strong hostile force which was defending a heavily fortified position. During the ensuing battle, he bravely placed himself in the lead position to advise his Vietnamese counterparts, and then maneuvered to an extremely dangerous position to provide cover for the Detachment Commander who was armed with a grenade launcher against the onrushing enemy. Throughout three vicious enemy assaults, Sergeant Talley displayed fearless determination while exposed to a barrage of weapons fire, and continued to engage the enemy with outstanding effectiveness despite the overwhelming onslaught. Sergeant Talley's fortitude, courageous actions, and conspicuous gallantry are in the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflects great credit upon himself and the military services.
See https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/24795

On June 17, 1964, CAPT Thomas L. Ledbetter, SGT James L. Talley and SGT Harry A. Walling left the Special Forces camp at Polei Krong on a two-day patrol with a 103-man Montagnard company. The patrol proceeded through Tay Ninh Province to about 5 miles southeast of the provincial capital. Two days later, at the camp at Soui Da, a radio message was received from Talley reporting that the team had walked into a Viet Cong battalion of 300-400 and that CAPT Ledbetter had been wounded. He requested air support and evacuation. He was unable to give an exact location. Immediate help was sent, but was unable to locate the area of the battle. Later that day, a company and a half were ready to leave on a search when 26 survivors, mostly wounded, began to come in, giving a grim description of what had occurred. CAPT Ledbetter, although shot in the leg, stabbed and hit in the head, was last seen crawling away after the company was entirely overrun. Some of the survivors reported that they had hidden in the brush pretending to be dead and observed the Viet Cong burying bodies and lying in wait for the search parties they knew would come. Some said that they had seen Talley and Ledbetter being carried away by the Viet Cong. The search for clues of the fate of Thomas Ledbetter, James Talley and Harry Walling went on for over a week. Each day, the searchers encountered enemy fire and engaged in battle, both on the ground and in the air. The search was complicated by the fact that the Montagnards were unfamiliar with the area and frequently became confused about the locations of the battles. Eighty-six new graves were found, and several of them were opened. The grave of Harry Walling was found and his body evacuated. Ledbetter and Talley were not found. The team felt at the time that Ledbetter and Talley had been captured. Talley had medical experience and would have made a valuable prisoner to the Viet Cong who were unable to adequately treat their wounded. [Taken from pownetwork.org]