THE WALL OF FACES

Operation Osage (April 27 – May 2, 1966) was a U.S. Marine Corps amphibious operation into the rice paddy region situated between Da Nang and Hue, RVN. The mission was to find, fix, and destroy a Viet Cong (VC) battalion and elements of a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regiment reported to be operating in the area. No known contact was ever recorded with the targeted enemy units during the operation; however, on the morning of April 29th, Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines took casualties from a small, unknown enemy unit employing sniper fire and rifle grenades near Hill 282 on Cape Chon May in Thua Thien Province, RVN. The company had just seized one objective and was preparing to assault its next target when it began receiving fire a little after noon. One Marine was wounded requiring an emergency evacuation. As C Company maneuvered towards the direction of fire, a mine was detonated. Six Marines and a Navy corpsman were killed; seven others were wounded. The lost Marines included PFC Loren E. Bradley, SGT David D. Gummere, PFC Harry D. Haskins, 1LT Lawrence D. Knuth, FSGT Louis J. Pellizzari, and PFC James C. Wiskur; the lost Navy aidman was HM2 Bob E. Pogre. Medivacs were called to the scene, and the casualties were removed. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Combat After Action Report for Operation Osage”]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance from your sister Linda is especially touching. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us...

May those who served never be forgotten. Rest in peace PFC. Bradley, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family. Semper Fidelis!

DEAR PFC LOREN BRADLEY,
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A RIFLEMAN. SEMPER FI. TODAY IS MEMORIAL DAY, 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.