THE WALL OF FACES

Team Fox was on the mission known as

MY NAME IS RON COMBS MIKE AND I WERE IN THE SAME RANGER TEAM UNTIL HIS DEATH IN JULY OF 1969. MIKES' BUNK WAS NEXT TO MINE AND AFTER MISSIONS WE WOULD TALK ABOUT OUR FAMILIES. MIKE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD A COUPLE BROTHERS WHO ALSO WERE IN THE SERVICE. I REMEMBER HIM TELLING ME HE WAS FROM ALEXANDRIA, VA. MIKE WAS TALL ABOUT 6 FEET OR TALLER. HE HAD BLUE EYES AND SANDY COLORED HAIR. MIKE AND I WOULD TAKE TURNS BUYING PIZZA AND JUST TALK. HE AND I FOUGHT SIDE BY SIDE ON SEVERAL MISSIONS AND ALSO DEFENDING LZ ENGLISH FROM VC ATTACKS. OUR TEAM WAS DISCOVERED BY THE ENEMY ON ONE MISSION. WE WERE FORCED UP TO THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN AS THE ENEMY SET THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN ON FIRE AND SMOKE US OUT. WE SET UP A HASTY DEFENSE POSITION AND HELD THEY OFF FOR BETTER THAN 4O MINUTES UNTIL EXTRACTION SHIPS COULD GET US OUT. MIKE AND I PROMISED THAT WE WOULD GET IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHERS FAMILY IN THE EVENT OF SOMETHING GOING WRONG. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR OVER 33 YEARS TO KEEP MY PROMISE TO MIKE. I AM DEEPLY DISTRESSED THAT MIKE'S MOM AND DAD HAVE PASSED. I HAVE FAILED IN KEEPING MY PROMISE. BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU THAT I DID TRY !! WHEN WE WERE OUT IN THE JUNGLE DEEP IN ENEMY TERRITORY IT WAS A COMFORT TO KNOW THAT MIKE WAS NEARBY. MIKE WAS INDEED KILLED BY A (BOOBY TRAPPED) UNEXPOLDED 155MM ARTILLARY SHELL. MIKE WAS IN NO PAIN - HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HIT HIM. MIKE WAS HOWEVER WALKING POINT FOR THE TEAM THAT DAY. RANGER PERKINS ( AN AFRICIAN AMERICAN ) GOT THE TEAM OUT. I WAS REPLACED ON THIS MISSION THE DAY BEFORE AND WAS ALREADY AT HOSPITAL. I MET THE TEAM AS THEY CAME IN BY MEDIVAC HELICOPTER. I WATCHED AS THEY CARRIED MIKE AND THE OTHERS OFF THE HUEY. TWO OTHERS WERE KILLED AND TWO WERE BANDAGED FROM HEAD TO TOE WITH SERIOUS WOUNDS. TO THIS DAY I DON'T THINK THEY COULD HAVE SURVIVED BUT I HOPE SO. THE RANGER WHO TOOK MY PLACE THAT DAY WAS KILLED - BY ALL RIGHTS I SHOULD BE WITH MIKE. DIFFICULT TO CARRY THIS FOR ALL THIS TIME.. I WATCHED FROM THE MEDIVAC HELICOPTER AS IT MAKE A WIDE CIRCLE UNTIL THEY TOOK MIKE AND THE OTHERS INSIDE THE HOSPITAL...JULY 26,1969. JUST ABOUT 10:00AM. THE TEAM HIT THE BOOBY TRAP SHORTLY AFTER DAYBREAK 6:00AM. MIKE ASKED THAT I TELL THE FAMILY : NOT TO WORRY - THAT HE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU - AND THAT HE LOVES YOU VERY MUCH. SGT. RON COMBS 158 N. GRAND AVE. FT. THOMAS , KY 41075 1 (859) 441-8582

You are in my thoughts almost every day even after all these years. You were my baby brother and you have been sorely missed by your whole family. The one thing that has helped is you believed in what you were doing and you loved your family and country. You are in Gods arms today and Mom and Dad are also with you. Love, Pat

Mike Thomas and I were team mates in November Company, 75th Infantry (Airborne Rangers). Teams in this unit consisted of 6 soldiers who conducted long range patrols into areas often considered "behind enemy lines." Depending on stealth for survival, the mission objectives were to gather intelligence on enemy activity for further conventional operations. The patrols usually lasted 4-5 days unless we were compromised or had enemy contact. Most often, at the end of a patrol, teams would set up ambushes and wait for the enemy.

November Company was attached to the 173rd Airborne Brigade and operated out of LZ English. The Brigade Commander referred to our unit as the "eyes and ears of the brigade." N/75 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the period of time we were team members.

Approximately four months afterwards, I heard how it happened from a fellow team mate who was wounded in the same action. The team was on patrol and Mike was walking the Assistant Team Leader position, last in line, as rear guard security. This is an important position because the VC would often back trail the teams. One of his team mates accidentally stepped on a 155 howitzer round that had been hidden as a booby-trap. Of the six team members, three were killed and two were seriously wounded. Medi-vac was called and the entire team was extracted.

Mike was a fine person, a good friend and a dependable team mate. Cool under fire or in tight situations, he never let a team mate down. Quick to share a drink or a joke, I was and am honored to call him Friend.

Thirty years later, we are all still family. Wait up, Mike; I'll be along in a little while...

Sgt. Phillip E. Parsons
N/75 Airborne Rangers