THE WALL OF FACES

May those who served never be forgotten. We can never truly repay the great debt we owe our fallen heroes. Rest in peace HN. Carper, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. Your Silver Star citation attests to your courage and devotion to your fellow marines. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever…..

Never forgotten.

Semper Fi, Doc

On May 16, 1966, a 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division patrol composed of one officer, eleven enlisted men, and one Navy corpsman with an attachment of engineers comprising of an officer and six enlisted men, for a total of twenty personnel, were inserted on top of Hill 674, approximately eight miles south of Phong Dien in Thua Thien Province, RVN, to establish a radio relay site. The engineers carried 300 lbs. of C4 explosives and worked about 75 yards southeast of the hilltop while the recon team members provided security. On the morning of the second day, a three-man patrol reported hearing Vietnamese voices. Two hours later, CPL Randy G. Totten, posted as security on the northeast side of the hill, opened fire on several Viet Cong, killing one and observing two or three more between his position and an observation post (OP) set up by the Marines. The platoon sergeant came to Totten’s aid, and together they moved in the direction of the OP. They had traveled about 25 yards when Totten was hit by semi-automatic rifle fire and died immediately. The recon patrol leader and a navy aidman, HN Loring W. Carper Jr., came to the assistance of the platoon sergeant and casualty. When Carper reached Totten, he was hit by small arms fire and died almost instantly. Because of the enemy sniper’s concealment, the Marines were unable to recover the bodies of their team members. They crawled on their stomachs to the bodies but could not pull them back without standing up. The weapons and corpsman’s medical kit were recovered. An emergency request for CS (tear gas) grenades and masks was made, and a helicopter lifted the equipment to the OP. At 5:40 PM, the Marines tossed about twenty gas grenades, creating a screen, then approached the bodies from where they threw fragmentation grenades in the direction of the sniper. The bodies were removed from the line of fire and taken to the OP. The position was consolidated, and its defenses improved. At first light the following morning, the patrol was extracted without further incident. Carper was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for gallantry. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and “Command Chronology – Da Nang (1st Recon Bn) May 1966” at ttu.edu]

Dear HN Loring Carper,
Thank you for your service as a Hospitalman with the 3rd Marine Division. Semper Fi. Thank you for the lives you saved. 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 strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.