THE WALL OF FACES

On April 12, 1968, U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division forces participating in Operation Toan Thang I (“Complete Victory”) came in contact with the Viet Cong’s 9th Division, precipitating a major engagement in Tay Ninh Province, RVN. The Americans had just begun sweeping Base Area 355, a belt of woods three miles northwest of the Michelin Rubber Plantation, in search of the 9th Division. Several hours after midnight, VC sappers crept forward to probe their night defense position along Route 244 of the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, targeting B Company on the southwestern portion of the perimeter. The Americans opened fire and hunkered down in their foxholes as the first of several hundred 82mm mortar rounds began to hit. Around 4:00 AM, a battalion of insurgents poured out of the trees in a human wave attack and headed for the sector held by B Company. The Americans fought back in desperate close combat, but the enemy’s superior numbers soon began to tell. Within thirty minutes, the enemy had breached the southern perimeter lines and was threatening to overrun the battalion’s position. An unrelenting wave of air and artillery strikes plus the arrival of helicopter gunships around 5:00 AM helped stabilize the situation, giving the defending infantrymen time to eject the enemy and reestablish their perimeter. Recon Platoon from 3/22 soon arrived to help B Company, and at 6:15 AM a group of armored personnel carriers from 2/22 (Mechanized) roared onto the scene and put the Viet Cong to flight. The beaten enemy broke contact and withdrew around 7:00 AM, leaving behind 153 corpses and an assortment of weapons. Eighteen U.S. soldiers died in the battle and forty-seven were wounded. The lost personnel included (from B/3/22) SP4 Edward C. Beckwith, PFC John E. Cunningham Jr., PFC Robert W. Ellsworth, PFC William E. Maxwell, SP4 Robert L. Melton Jr., PFC Glenn L. Moller Jr., CPL Reynaldo N. Orozco, PFC David A. Strupp, CPL Donny G. Tidwell, and SP4 Douglas R. Weiher; (from D/3/22) SP4 William J. De Lisa, SP4 Morris K. James, SP4 Cleatus W. McClanahan, PFC James R. Southey (died of wounds 05/03/1968), and SGT Hubert E. Waford; (from HHC/3/22) cook PFC Alan P. Butkus and medic CPL Alan J. Hettich; and (from C Battery, 2nd Battalion, 77th Artillery) CPL Billy J. Brown. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Staying the Course: October 1967 to September 1968” by Erik B. Villard; article from the Madera Daily Tribune (Madera, CA), April 12, 1968]

Al, I missed growing up with you my young brother and will never forget you and I always think of you. I hope and pray we met again. I'll love you forever my wonderful brother Alan. Edmund A. Butkus

Never forgotten.

HOOAH

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. May you rest in eternal peace.

Al, of course you were one of my best buddies at Mendel High School. During Viet Nam I was in the Air Force at McGuire AFB, NJ serving my duty. I did not know for years that you were a KIA, did not find out until I saw an alumni paper back in the late 80's. Thank you for your service and rest with our other Mendel students who did not make it home.