THE WALL OF FACES

My father, Dennis Riordan, 25th Infantry spoke of you fondly. He was with you on the day of the attack and lost the back of his leg and had shrapnel to the head & hip, eventually being airlifted to a hospital in Japan. You are not forgotten, he has passed the story of your bravery onto me, his only child and to his grandchildren. Rest in peace.

May those who served never be forgotten. Rest in peace CPL. Bozeman, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. May you rest in eternal peace.

In early May 1968, Batteries B and C (105mm tubes) of 7th Battalion, 11th Artillery, and Battery A (155mm tubes) of 3rd Battalion, 13th Artillery, were occupying FSB Maury I, a 25th Infantry Division artillery fire base six miles south of Cu Chi village in Hau Nghia Province, RVN. Although the base was located in what was probably the best available area, bamboo thickets and wood lines surrounded the clearing. The three field artillery batteries had been arranged in a triangle within the perimeter, with one battery at each point. The 155mm battery was to the west, and the 105mm batteries were to the northeast and southeast. On the night of May 9th, Maury I came under heavy attack. The enemy began his attack at 2:00 AM with an intense mortar and rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) barrage. He launched a diversionary attack against the northeastern and southwestern portions of the perimeter followed by a main attack directed against the western portion of the triangle where the 155mm battery was located less than 200 meters from the tree line. The 155mm battery, between the two 105mm batteries and the attacking enemy, took the brunt of the attack. The RPG fire had a devastating effect on the 155mm howitzers. At 3:30 AM, an attempt was made to move two 105mm howitzers to the southwestern side of the perimeter to aid the medium battery. By this time, only one of the 155mm howitzers was serviceable; of the others, three had been completely destroyed, as had two M548 ammunition vehicles. Flareships and gunships arrived around the same time, and Air Force fighter aircraft by 5:00 AM. At 5:30 AM, a relief element of the 4th Battalion, 23d Infantry (Mechanized), reached the base and battered its way into the beleaguered compound. The attack was finally repulsed. All Beehive ammunition had been expended but, because of the speed and accuracy of the assault against the medium battery, less than 10 rounds of 155mm ammunition had been fired before the destruction of the howitzers. Eighteen Viet Cong were confirmed dead, and friendly losses numbered 15 killed and 66 wounded. The lost Americans included CPL Dwight E. Bozeman, SP5 Michael L. Brewer, SP4 Joseph N. D’Ambra, SSG Excell Ficklin, SGT Timothy M. Hamilton, PFC Rudy Lopez, PFC Marvin H. Martin, 1LT Michael L. Mitchell, PFC Garrett T. O’Connor, SSG Cornealus Pumphrey Jr., SP5 Leo F. Rupert, SGT John M. Schneider, SP4 Reid T. Styers, SP4 Larry L. Tolliver, and PFC Edward Tyler. Five M109 howitzers were destroyed; one serviceable howitzer was later pieced together from two damaged howitzers. Two M548s were destroyed, and one 5-ton truck was severely damaged. Fourteen M16 rifles were either lost or destroyed. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and an article by MG David E. Ott in Field Artillery Journal (May-June 1976)]

DEAR CORPORAL BOZEMAN,
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A FIELD ARTILLERY BASIC. ARTILLERYMEN WILL ALWAYS BE SPECIAL TO ME. IT IS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, BUT ON ALL DAYS WE SHOULD HONOR YOU. IT HAS BEEN FAR TOO LONG FOR ALL OF YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR SACRIFICE. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE. YOU ARE ALL IN OUR PRAYERS.