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 PFC Scott Wright, Thank you for your service as a Rifleman. I researched you on the 55th anniversary of the start of your tour. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Lent has begun. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance, and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

God bless the soldiers. Thank you for your service. Heroes are never forgotten in America. Thank you.

In April 1968, the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, was placed at Ca Lu Combat Base on National Highway QL- 9 in Quang Tri Province, RVN, and assigned responsibility for securing the highway from Khe Sanh Combat Base to the coast. Golf Company, 2/9, under 3/1 control, provided the battalion extra military capability and were placed at bridges along the route. On the morning of April 18th, a squad (reinforced) from 2nd Platoon, Golf 2/9, positioned at Bridge 28 reported contact with North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces. The remainder of 2nd Platoon, Golf 2/9, accompanied by two tanks, moved out from Ca Lu to reinforce them and exploit the contact. When they arrived on scene, they found the NVA in well-concealed bunkers along the sides of a heavily vegetated ravine running north from the bridge. While the NVA had a fair field of fire against the bridge and both approaches to it, the Marines could only bring glancing fire against the bunkers. At 10:25 AM, a five-truck convoy of B Battery, 1/11 artillerymen from Khe Sanh attempted to run the gauntlet across Bridge 28. All five vehicles were hit by enemy fire resulting in numerous personnel killed and wounded. The artillerymen became stranded and engaged by fire from the ravine, and Golf 2/9 suffered heavy casualties attempting to extricate the dead and wounded from the convoy. On April 20th, Mike Company, 3/1 was helilifted onto the high ground north of the enemy positions and assault down the ravine. Golf 2/9 coordinated supporting fires on the enemy positions, and by nightfall, enemy fire had been reduced enough to allow movement across Bridge 28. By noon of the 22nd, QL-9 was declared open to traffic. A total of twenty-nine NVA had been killed versus twenty-five Marines. The Marines lost during the three-day fight at Bridge 28 included (B Battery, 1/11): CPL William Adams Jr., LCPL Donald R. Allen, and PFC Gilbert Mendoza; (Mike 3/1) CPL Don E. Davis, CPL Robert C. Hawes, LCPL Alexander Chisolm, LCPL John M. Vaughn, PFC Kent R. Bolter, PFC John L. Czechowski, PFC Eugene Harris, PFC Francis X. Kane, PFC Charles J. Rachon, and PFC Edward E. Whalen; (Golf 2/9) CPL Lawrence J. Snyder, CPL James D. Craft, LCPL Tomas Gonzales, LCPL Michael D. Padilla, LCPL Thomas J. Worley, LCPL William P. York, PFC Lee C. Adams, PFC Michael J. Caporale, PFC Neil H. Exum, PFC Andrew J. Payne Jr., PFC Scott A. Wright, and PFC Lewis J. Young. [Taken from virtualwall.org and “Command Chronology (3rd Bn, 1st Marines) April 1968” at ttu.edu]

Scott, I want to express my thanks to your serving the citizens of this country. As your neighbor perhaps I was too young to understand your sacrifice at the time. As the years have gone by please know that your valor was not in vain. Please accept my deepest gratitude these years later, Paul Hartsuch