THE WALL OF FACES

Operation Enterprise (February 13, 1967 - March 11, 1968) was a U.S. Army pacification and security operation in Long An Province, RVN. The 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division was responsible for the security of Long An Province located southwest of the capital of Saigon. The province was the gateway to the Mekong Delta, the "rice-basket" of South Vietnam, in addition to producing over 280,000 tons of rice per year. It also contained vital supply lines for the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) linking their sanctuaries in Cambodia with their operational areas around Saigon and in the Mekong Delta. Sheltering several battalions throughout the province, the VC controlled most parts of Long An. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 25th Division kept two regiments in Long An Province. At Position Pike, an ARVN fire support base located three kilometers (2.0 miles) northwest of Rach Kien, the ARVN maintained two reinforced platoons supported by an 81mm mortar squad from 3rd Brigade’s 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment. Pike was viewed as an obstacle to the VC’s strategic goals in Long An Province, and the base was repeatedly attacked. On March 8, 1967, Pike was assaulted by an estimated VC company. The fifty-minute attack killed five Americans and wounded two others. ARVN losses were eight killed and eight wounded. At 4:00 AM on March 20th, Pike was attacked again by a company-sized VC force from the north and east. Using mortars, recoilless rifles, automatic weapons, and small arms, the VC pounded away at the outpost. The infantrymen battled for one and a half hours, backed up by crushing artillery fire from nearby fire support bases. When the enemy broke contact, a sweep of the battle area revealed 55 VC dead. Friendly losses were ten U.S. killed and 25 wounded. The lost personnel included (from A Co-3/39th) 2LT Charles W. Brown Jr., SP4 Thomas D. Darling, SSG Raymundo F. De Herrera, PFC Erwin J. Haarwaldt, CPT Gary L. Hobbs, SSG Freddie D. Jones Sr., PFC Dennis R. Morrell, PFC Oscar F. Nicewander, and SP4 James R. Novotny; and (from A Btry, 2nd Bn, 4th Arty) SP4 John R. Cushman (posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal). [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Fifty-five VC Slain By 3/39 At Rach Kien.” The Old Reliable (9th Infantry Division publication), March 25, 1967; also, “Operational Report - Lessons Learned, Headquarters, 9th Infantry Division, Period Ending 10 April 1967” at archive.com]

He was Kia at an outpost called Pike when it was overrun.My plt was called out to help but we were too late

You are remembered.

HOOAH

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever....