THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir and thank you to the students from Gridley High School for posting remembrances for you and other heroes who died in Vietnam. May you rest in eternal peace.

Dear Sgt Brown,
Thank you for your service as a Huey, UH-1 Helicopter Repairer. It is another summer, as time continues to pass since Vietnam. It is important for us all to acknowledge the sacrifices of those like you who answered our nation's call. Please watch over America, it stills needs your courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels

On September 26, 1968, an U.S. Army OH-6 "Loach" (tail number 67-16185) assigned to Company B "Aeroscout", 123rd Combat Aviation Battalion, AMERICAL Division, was conducting an armed aerial reconnaissance in the Divisional AO (area of operations). The unit was based at the Ky Ha Heliport on the Chu Lai Combat Base in the I Corps Region. The crew consisted of pilot CPT Bill Staffa and SP4 Hill (a very experienced Aeroscout observer), who sat in the left seat of the aircraft. The crew chief was SP4 Donald L. Brown, an experienced UH-1 Huey crew chief, sitting in the rear compartment. On the first reconnaissance mission of the day, about 20 miles west of the city of Tam Ky, they were flying in support of D Company, 1/52 Infantry, and searching an area for enemy soldiers who had ambushed combat engineers working on the road adjacent to LZ Young. The weather was a little foggy and rainy so they could not recon the mountains to the west, the likely direction of enemy withdrawal. They decided to check the area around the firebase. They observed several crew-served weapons (mortars) under a lean-to and leather combat gear hanging on pegs in a hooch about 2000 meters to the northeast of the firebase. The items were exposed by hovering over the thatched structures and blowing the roof away with the rotor wash. They called for supporting armed helicopters attack the structures with rocket fire. Afterward the Loach moved back into the area, but returned to LZ Young when a strange noise was heard coming from the aircraft. The noise turned out to be wind blowing across the exposed barrel end of an M-79 grenade launcher. When they returned to the search area, several blood trails were observed and they took sporadic small arms fire. The supporting gunships were called in again with rocket and minigun fire. When they returned to the area for damage assessment, a body was observed on the ground in front of the original structure. As they slowly flew over the "dead" body at 15 feet, the enemy soldier rolled over and fired at the slow-moving aircraft with an AK-47 assault rifle. CPT Staffa was hit in the right foot, driving his leg onto the instrument console. The aircraft went into a spin as his left foot pushed the pedal all the way in. At the same time SP4 Brown engaged the enemy with his machine gun and was overheard to say something to the effect, "I got him." SP4 Hill put both feet on the pedals on his side of the aircraft and stopped the spin before they impacted the ground. CPT Staffa took control of the aircraft and headed back to LZ Young. SP4 Brown would not answer the intercom, and SP4 Hill looked over the bulkhead reporting that Brown had been hit. At LZ Young, both Staffa and Brown were transferred to the gunships and flown back to the 2nd Surgical Hospital at Ky Ha. SP4 Brown had been wounded by a bullet which came up from directly below him, penetrated his body in the buttock area, then ricocheted off the inside of the ceramic armor vest back into his body. Critically injured, he was transferred to Japan where he died on October 23, 1968. CPT Staffa's wound to his right heel was completely healed in two weeks and he returned to flight status. (Note: SP4 Brown was posthumously promoted to Sergeant. His bloody gear was left sitting near the orderly room. It was very depressing for members of his battalion to see the gear in this condition. Brown had gone through AIT (Advanced Infantry Training) with men from A & B Companies,123rd Aviation Battalion. Several men had just finished reading a letter from Brown telling them that he was sure he was going to make it when they were told that he had died. A funeral was held at the chapel on the hill above the 123rd Aviation Battalion heliport at Ky Ha. His boots were part of the ceremony.) [Taken from bco123rdavnbn.org]

Dear SGT Donald Lynn Brown, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter

I am thinking about you most today this Memorial Day. I think about you often and the fact that I have never met you, my Mothers brother, weighs heavy on my heart. My mom has a lot of pain at the thought of not having you in her life. You were her baby since you two were so far apart in age. She named my brother after you and he is an amazing man. I Iove you uncle and wish you were with us today.