THE WALL OF FACES

Some may think you are forgotten
Though on earth you are no more
But in our memory you are with us
As you always were before….

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

Dear Sp4 John Thiel, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Independence Day just passed. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it still needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

HOOAH

Will be visiting you and Ripley again.

On December 6, 1967, the 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry and B Battery, 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery conducted an air assault and established a night defensive position (NDP) approximately two miles southeast of Bu Dop Camp near the Vietnam-Cambodia border in Phuoc Long Province, RVN. The NDP was carved out of a bamboo thicket, located on the south side of Hill 172 astride an east-west trail. At 1:00 AM on December 8th, a medivac “dustoff” entered the NDP to remove three men injured in a mine accident. As the helicopter came in, an undetected Viet Cong (VC) force opened fire with small arms. The attack was quickly followed by a mortar barrage of 60mm and 82mm rounds which fell northwest of the NDP. Counterfire was immediately called from supporting artillery and two ambush patrols outside the NDP were brought in. A C Company listening post detected heavy movement, blew five Claymore mines, and also returned to the perimeter. D and B Company’s sides of the perimeter began to receive enemy probes all along the line. Minutes later, heavy automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade fire began hitting the northwest perimeter. Howitzers in the NDP directed fire into the wood line, breaking up a VC attack. At 2:00 AM, a second attack developed on the southeastern portion of the perimeter between D and B Company. The enemy reached the concertina wire around the NDP but was quickly driven away by supporting 105mm artillery fire. The Big Red One forces continued to fire at the retreating VC forces until 4:00 AM. A sweep of the perimeter at daylight revealed forty-nine VC bodies and numerous bloody trails. An estimated 140 enemy were killed and numerous weapons were captured along with six wounded VC. U.S. loses were four killed and fourteen wounded. The lost personnel included SP4 Kenneth R. Benjamin, SP4 Paul E. Dufford, SGT John M. Ray, and SP4 John E. Thiel. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Danger Forward” (September 1968), a 1st Infantry Division publication]