THE WALL OF FACES

I served in Vietnam with Lt. Alley and he was a Great Leader. I'm was Sergeant Hogan and I was with him on the day of the accident. I should have reached out to his Family when I returned home but it was just too hard at the time. He looked after all of us and he gave his life protecting each and everyone. I think about him often even today and my prayers continue to go out to his Family.

I served with Lt. Alley in Vietnam and he was a great leader and friend. I was Sergeant Hogan and I was with him at the time of the accident. I should have reached out to his Family when he returned home but it was just too hard. I think of Lt. Alley often and even now my prayers go out to his Family.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As your sister Dianna mentions in her remembrance you will always be loved and remembered.

1LT Donald R. Alley was an Armored Reconnaissance Unit Commander serving with A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry, 4th Infantry Division. 1LT Alley’s unit was tasked with keeping open Highway 19, which ran through the rugged Mang Yang Pass, a vital artery which kept the U.S. 4th Infantry resupplied at Pleiku. A Troop ran mine sweeps in order to clear the roads for the convoys to get through, then would escort them through the pass and along the highway. At the end of the day, if not on a mission, they would then set up at night on a small mountain or hill, somewhere between their Blackhawk firebase, the Mang Yang Pass, and/or Pleiku. Alley’s unit occasionally conducted search and destroy missions, and also patrolled at night to keep the Viet Cong at bay. On December 13, 1968, one of the Armored Personnel Carriers that Alley commanded had a dud American LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) round on it. Alley thought it was dangerous and decided to take the defective round to a small trash pit and blow it up with a grenade. After he pulled the pin and laid the grenade under the LAW round, he turned to exit the trash pit when he slipped on something trying to come out. When Alley realized he wasn't going to make it, he tried to retrieve the grenade and throw it. He was unsuccessful. Alley suffered catastrophic injuries in the blast, his body torn apart in the explosion. A track crewmember with him was uninjured, but was traumatized by the incident. Other crewmen spent a long time searching for Alley’s wedding ring. A formal inquiry by Army investigators was conducted and they concluded the incident was an accident. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Bob Hogan March 2018)]

DEAR LIEUTENANT ALLEY,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN ARMORED RECONNAISSANCE UNIT COMMANDER. YOU PASSED ON MY NAME DAY, ST. LUCY - HOPE SHE GUIDES YOU.
REST IN PEACE.