THE WALL OF FACES

You are remembered by your buddies in the 2/22

John and I were both members of the weapons squad, 1st Platoon, A Company, 2-22d Infantry (Mechanized), 3d Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. Our base camp was at Dau Tieng in the Michelin Rubber Plantation. John was one of three KIA on the night of 15 July 1967. He was in an M-113 APC when it was struck by an RPG rocket. The vehicle quickly exploded and John was flash burned over 90 per cent of his body. When I last saw him he was lying on a nearby road waiting for medical evacuation. He was conscious but numb, complaining of being cold. He was not in any pain, shock having set in. John was evacuated to a hospital in Tay Ninh and died shortly thereafter. He was not yet an American citizen when he died. I will never forget PFC John Collopy.