THE WALL OF FACES

The 11th Armored Cavalry “Blackhorse” Regiment was a mechanized infantry unit which conducted reconnaissance, surveillance, and security missions. Arriving in Vietnam in September 1966, the regiment utilized M113 armored cavalry assault vehicles and M551 Sheridan medium tanks and could attack or defend with either mounted or dismounted infantry. During the first quarter of 1970, elements of the 919th Engineer Company (Armored) provided direct combat engineer support to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR). The primary area of operation was War Zone C in Tay Ninh Province. Separate platoons of the 919th were placed with individual squadrons of the 11th ACR. The 3rd Platoon was assigned to 3rd Squadron on February 1st and engaged in construction of Fire Support Base Jan. At the end of the month, they were transferred to 1st Squadron where they performed a variety of missions including base construction, bridge construction, and road mine sweeps. On April 8th, while conducting mine sweep operations six kilometers (3.7 miles) northwest of Thien Ngon Airfield, a friendly automatic ambush mine was accidentally detonated. The explosion killed two combat engineers, SSG Robert J. Thompson and SP5 Craig A. Van Akin, and severely wounded three others. One of the wounded, SSG David W. Dash, was admitted to the 45th Surgical Hospital in Tay Ninh for treatment of blast and fragmentation wounds to the abdomen with the loss of both legs above the knees. He was medically evacuated to the U.S. Army Hospital at Camp Zama in Japan where he expired May 2, 1970. A 19-year Army veteran, Dash was posthumously promoted to Sergeant First Class. He was survived by his wife and three children. [Sourced at coffeltdatabase.org and “Operational Report of 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment for Period Ending 30 April 1970” at apps.dtic.mil]

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 SSgt Robert Thompson, Thank you for your service as a Combat Engineer. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is another summer. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it still needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Remembering you and your family this Memorial Day 2017.

You are always remembered and never forgotten