THE WALL OF FACES

War drew us from our homeland
In the sunlit springtime of our youth.
Those who did not come back alive remain
in perpetual springtime -- forever young --
And a part of them is with us always.

Dear Sp4 Thomas Wilk, Thank you for your service as a Heavy Construction Equipment Operator. Your 73rd birthday is soon, happy birthday. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is the Epiphany. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance, and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

I sent in a picture of the entrance gate and bunker at our compound on QL 20 for C company 169th engineer battalion Vietnam, 68 to 69. Note the compound is called Wilk's compound.. We renamed it in honor of Tom after he was killed in action. See my prior post tribute to a friend describing the day. Tom died. RIP my friend.

I served with Tom in C company 169th engineer battalion Vietnam. If I recall correctly, Tom's MOS was mechanic and he worked in the motor pool. My MOS was welder, and it was in the motor pool where I met him. He was a seasoned veteran when I arrived, and was always very helpful, cluing me in as to what was going on, and he helped me get acquainted with the other guys, Tom ultimately wanted to operate, heavy machinery, and transferred to the earth moving platoon where he became a D7 dozer operator. Our unit was tasked with rebuilding and paving QL 20 from QL 1 to Dalot. The day he died. He was digging a roadside culvert with his dozer when he was attacked by the VC. He fought bravely behind the blade of his dozer until he ran out of ammunition. Others from the Earth, moving platoon, came to his rescue, but not in time to save him. They did prevent the VC from taking him prisoner. Later I will include a picture of the gate to our base camp near the town of Kim Tan. We renamed the base camp Wilk's compound.

I GREW UP WITH TOMMY IN FAIRVIEW WE WERE BLOOD BROTHERS . WHEN WE WANTED TO BE A CLOSE FRIEND WE WOULD CUT EACH OTHER WITH A KNIVE AND MIX OUR BLOOD TOGETHER,THIS IS HOW WE BECAME BLOOD BROTHERS.WE PLAYED A LOT OF FOOTBALL ,SMASHED PUMPKINS ,GOT IN FIGHTS AND RAISED SOME HELL .HE WAS A GOOD FRIEND I WILL NEVER FORGET .WARS TAKE AWAY SO MANY OF OUR BEST .TOMMY WAS ONE OF OUR BEST.GOD BLESS YOU TOMMY ,FROM YOUR OLD FRIEND TIMMY.