THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Sp4 Larry Warnock, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Your 76th birthday is soon, happy birthday. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Veterans’ Day is soon. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance, and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Larry moved to Stanwood Washington to live with his uncle Dale Twing. Dale ran a farm just down the road from where I grew up. Larry went to school with me and played football for one year then went back to Wyoming. He told me that his Uncle Dale was a big time high school football player in Wyoming. Larry was very good at football as well in Junior high. Larry out of the blue stopped by to see me at my parents place when I was home a few days from college in 19 65 /66. He said that he had just been drafted and had been working at Boeing. I hadn't seen him in years but remembered him very well and always wondered what he was doing back in Wyoming. I was very sad to find out shortly thereafter that he'd been killed in Vietnam. Now I know the story of what happened and the true hero he was. God rest is soul.

Oh, Larry. It's now been 54 years and never once have you ever been out of my mind. I love and miss you and am waiting until it is my time to meet up with you in heaven. Love changes but it never dies.

FSB Gold was located seventeen miles northwest of Tay Ninh, RVN. During Operation Junction City, the fire base was occupied jointly by the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Division, and the headquarters and all firing batteries of the 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery. At 6:40 AM on March 21, 1967, infantry patrols sweeping the area around Gold made contact with elements of a Viet Cong (VC) force apparently preparing to attack the base. The contact prematurely triggered the attack which began with heavy fire from recoilless rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and 60mm and 82mm mortars. At 7:15 AM, the Viet Cong launched a coordinated ground assault from the east, southeast, and north with elements of five battalions under the control of the 272nd Viet Cong Regiment. So violent was the assault that the enemy carried portions of the perimeter, but actions by the field artillery turned the tide. All batteries of the 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery engaged the enemy with over 1000 rounds of direct fire, including 30 rounds of beehive. At the same time, three batteries within range added their fire. Further fire support was provided by Air Force tactical air. During the attack, two maneuver battalions of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division were rushed to the scene, catching the enemy forces as they were attempting to withdraw, inflicting further casualties on the VC. The action in and around Gold resulted in 635 VC killed and 7 captured. U.S. losses were 31 killed and 109 wounded. The lost U.S. personnel included SP4 Edward M. Amato, SP4 Herman E. Anders Jr., PFC Matthew D. Atkins III, SP5 Norman L. Balance III, SP4 Michael A. Balzer, SP4 Larry D. Barton, PFC Thomas L. Bell, SP4 Kenneth G. Blanton, SP4 James D. Brewer, SGT Joseph J. Di Landro, SSG Jack Eaton, PFC Brian F. Gibbons, PFC Charles R. Goodwin, SP4 Willie Grant Jr., PFC Charles R. Greer, PFC Everette E. Harding, PFC John O. Harris, SP4 James R. Hintz, SP4 Virgil M. Ledford, PFC William E. Mallory Jr., SP4 Edward J. Muller, SP4 Garland A. Newhouse, SP4 Thomas D. Peterkin, CPL John F. Pezzulo, SP4 Lawrence E. Pollock, SP4 David C. Rogers, CPL Jesse B. Rose, SP4 Thomas M. Seklecki, SP4 Robert J. Smith, SP4 Thomas R. Talmadge, SP4 Algernon P. Thomas, and SP4 Larry L. Warnock. The action was given the name Battle of Soui Tre after the fact. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and army.mil/cmh]

Specialist Four Larry Lyman Warnock, Served with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.