THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your sacrifice Joe from a fellow Spartan from Pomona Catholic Boys High school in La Verne,Ca I played soccer with you.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us...

Joe was a left handed pitcher for Pomona American Legion in the summer of 64. I was a right handed and together we did well, making it to the finals in Orange CA. After that summer I lost track of Joe and I went on to La Verne and I know he went on to school, but not sure where. Great summer. I uploaded some newspaper articles about that summer.

Lai Khe Base Camp was located along route QL-13, also known as “Thunder Road,” about thirty miles north of Saigon in Binh Duong Province, RVN. Lai Khe served as base camp for the 1st Infantry Division from 1965-1972 along with several other American units over different periods of time. At 6:00 AM on May 9, 1968, the base received more than 40 rounds of enemy 122mm rocket fire. Six members of C Company, 701st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, were killed when one of the rockets smashed through the tin roof of the hooch they were sleeping in. The lost Americans included SP4 Andrew C. Andersen, SP4 Joseph F. Catt Jr., SP4 Robert L. Cole, SP4 Quentin Hayes, SP4 Phillip L. Lackey, and SP4 Thomas A. Singleton. The projectile reportedly impacted on the concrete floor at the base of Cole’s bed, killing him instantly. The beds of the other five men were in a line and they suffered a combination of fragmentation and blast injuries. Singleton survived the blast but later died of his wounds at the base hospital. At least two others were injured in the incident. Base personnel responded to the attack by placing counter-mortar fire on suspected enemy positions. Results were unknown. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Gerald Winstead (March 2019)]

Specialist Four Joseph Francis Catt Jr., Served with Company C, 701st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Infantry Division.