THE WALL OF FACES

I do not know your Sir. But I am deeply thankful for your service to our country. I hope to think we have some connection as we are both named John Brady.

My name is Patti and I work in the office of New York State Assemblymember Kevin Cahill. Our office is planning an event to honor those who were killed in Vietnam that were from our district, which encompasses most of Ulster County and Northern Dutchess. As such, we are hoping to get in touch with any of the surviving family members or close friends of this individual. Should anyone that reads this know how to contact them, we would greatly appreciate it if, with the family or friend’s permission, we could be given a means of reaching out to them. Our office can be contacted by phone at 845-338-9610 or email at [email protected]. Thank you.

Though we never got to meet you our mom Veronica made sure we knew what kind of hero you were. Thank you for your service. Thank you for looking down on us and protecting the family. My mom is the only sibling left. You're other sisters have passed on. I can only pray you met them at the Golden Gates and welcomed them home. Your nieces and nephews love you

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrances from Darlene are especially touching and attest to her love for you. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us...

LZ Buttons (Song Be) in Phuoc Long Province, RVN, was one of the largest bases in the area of northeastern III Corps. Over the years, it was home to U.S. Army units together with all kinds of support and flying units. Being located so close to the Cambodian frontier meant that Buttons blocked the way for North Vietnamese Army troops infiltrating across the border. At approximately 1:20 AM on November 4, 1969, Camp Martin, adjacent to LZ Buttons, came under a mortar attack. Quad 33 of Battery B, 71st Artillery, and Searchlight 252 of Battery I, 29th Artillery were in position on the southeast corner of the perimeter. The Quad crew observed the tube flashes and fired on them, immediately silencing the mortars. The mortar attack was immediately followed by a ground attack on Buttons where elements of the 1st Cavalry Division were bivouacked. This attack consisted of satchel charges, rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades, and AK-47 fire, and lasted until 5:00 AM. Quad 33 and Searchlight 252, along with Quad 32 on the northwest corner of the perimeter, expended a total of 7300 caliber .50 rounds and 700 7.62mm M60 machine gun rounds. There were negative casualties to 5/2 Arty elements. Searchlight 252 received moderate damage, and searchlight 251 received light damage as a result of two mortar rounds landing in their position areas. Two Americans were killed in the attack. They included SGT David R. Branson, an infantryman from D Company, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, and SP4 John P. Brady Jr., an Armor crewman from I Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry. Another 25 Americans were wounded. An estimated 55 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army personnel were killed. The Automatic Weapons commander credited the Quad and searchlight crews with thwarting the mortar attack and forewarning the elements at LZ Buttons of the impending attack against the LZ. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and Lessons Learned, Headquarters, 5th Battalion, 2nd Artillery, for the period ending January 31, 1970]