Indiana XII

Brazil, Indiana is not too far from Terra Haute and in 1970 the population was just a little over 8,000. 

Nine of her youth were lost in Vietnam.

Today, just a few.

Max Wayne Batchelor

Sgt Batchelor was an Artillery operator who was lost at Binh Duong to "hostile small arms fire."

Harold Dickerson

PSGT Harold Dickerson had only been in-country for a few weeks when he was lost at Kontum. He was, for a time, MIA and died of "hostile small arms fire."

His name was, for some reason, left off the Brazil, Indiana Vietnam memorial and was added in 2011 completing the honor of the nine lost in the war.

PFC. Jack Kriger was lost to us on February 23, 1968. He became ill and was transferred to a hospital ship where he died of Encephalitis and Pneumonia. He was posthumously promoted to Corporeal.       

Next time, on the 7th, we will return to Iowa to honor a few more of the heroes lost in 'Nam. So, join me there, as always, at 9:00 am.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served and/or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join those listed above.

Arkansas lX

I have not spent too much time in Arkansas and as a result have very few memorials in my files.

As I was searching for something interesting to share I cam across Michel Sublett's name. At first I, mistakenly, thought that perhaps I had stumbled across one of the eight nurses listed on The Wall. IN all my writings, now about 1150, this has never happened and I was a bit excited. After realizing my error, I felt it was only right and just to give Corporeal Sublett his well earned due.

Michel Kent Sublett

 

Cpl Michel Sublett was lost to small arms fire in a hostile action. 

He was from Searcy, Arkansas where this memorial honors him, his service and his heroism, forever. As it should. 

The following three are listed upon the same memorial as POWs. 

William Ward Smith

Cpt. William Smith was involved in a midair collision with a helicopter. A rescue was attempted but his remains could not be found. He is still considered MIA. He was lost on July 23, 1966 in the Quang Tri Province.

I read a report, but could not verify, that the pilot was rescued. 

Edd D. Taylor

LTJG Edd Taylor was on a rescue mission to find a sailor in the water when his aircraft was shot down. the sailor he was attempting to save was captured and spent eight years as a POW. He survived and returned home.

For 36 years he was listed as MIA. In march of 2020 remains were excavated in the La Son Province and on May24, 201 DNA lead to the identification of LTJG Taylor.

R.I.P. and Welcome Home, brother

Don Franklin Worley

SSGT Don Worley was lost on March 11th, 1968 in Laos (you know, that place we never were.) The story is recounted below in an account I found on line. I hope it is accurate.                                                                                        

"AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT TOOK PLACE AT LIMA 85 ON 11 MARCH 1968

LIMA 85
Laos, 11 March 1968


LIMA 85 was the name of a TSQ-81 radar and TACAN site located in the mountains of Laos about 12 miles west of the Laos / North Vietnam Border border.

The TSQ-81 radar was used to provide flight following and navigation assistance for US aircraft operating in Laos and North Vietnam; the TACAN was (and remains) a standard radio navigation aid.

At the time LIMA 85 was established, Laos was officially neutral under the 1962 Geneva Accords.

The North Vietnamese government simply ignored the 1962 agreement and effectively exercised military control over large parts of Laos adjacent to the North Viet Nam, South Viet Nam, and Cambodian borders.

The United States government officially observed Laotian neutrality while unofficially attempting to respond to Laotian government requests for assistance.

The 1962 Accords prevented any open U. S. military presence in Laos, so the men assigned to operate LIMA 85 couldn't be military - yet only military personnel were trained in TSC-81 operations.

The answer was both simple and sneaky: US Air Force personnel were officially assigned to the 1043rd Radar Evaluation Squadron, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington DC, temporarily released from active duty, and "employed" by Lockheed as civilians.

The TSQ-81, TACAN, generators, prefab buildings, and other necessary equipment was provided by the United States Air Force and the site established on a 5860 foot high mountain called Phou Pha Thi. The site was protected on three sides by sheer cliffs.

Once in operation, LIMA 85 developed into a real thorn in North Vietnam's side - the high-resolution TSQ-81 radar allowed precision bomb drops by aircraft otherwise incapable of effective night/bad weather ground attack, while the TACAN supported accurate aircraft navigation.

The site was protected by a combination of Thai "mercenaries" and Laotian tribesmen loyal to the government - a total force of about 1,000 irregular troops.

In January 1968 the North Vietnamese attempted to destroy LIMA 85 by air attack in one of the very rare air operations conducted outside their own borders, the Peoples' Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Air Force used AN-2 Colts to bomb and strafe the site. While the attack was unsuccessful, it clearly illustrates the importance placed on destroying LIMA 85.

(NOTE: The PAVN Air Force Museum in Hanoi reportedly has a highly visible, detailed representation of the attack complete with a mock-up of the mountain, model AN-2 Colts, photos of the aircrew, and the gun pod from one of the AN-2 Colts).

In February 1968 it became evident that the NVN government intended to conduct a massive ground operation directed at capturing and destroying LIMA 85.

Ten PAVN battalions were identified moving toward and establishing base camps at the foot of Pha Thi mountain. The US Ambassador to Laos was responsible for deciding when the Americans manning LIMA 85 would be withdrawn - unfortunately, he left the decision undone for one day too long.

On 11 March 1968 the ground attack began and ended - by day's end the PAVN troops had assaulted through the fourth side of the site, the only approach not blocked by sheer cliffs, and had overrun the site.

US rescue efforts were only partially successful as eleven Americans were lost when LIMA 85 fell into enemy hands, and a twelfth was lost when his A-1E SKYRAIDER was shot down.

As of 06 November 2002, none of the twelve US Air Force men lost at LIMA 85 have been repatriated.
 

(( Last updated on 06 Nov 2002 ))"    

Note: Since this was first published several of the men lost have been repatriated through the joint efforts of the United States government and the Vietnamese government. 

Next time, on October 14th, we will return to California, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served and/or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group.

Alaska XIV

I've been to Alaska a couple of times for various reasons, but the changes in their memorial situation is a gratifying story. Check out the original posts concerning this here and here. 

As I have been doing lately, today I want to honor a few of the those lost from Alaska. These KIAs are from the Anchorage memorial.

Thomas Barr

Sp5 Thomas Barr was a Company Clerk. Read more about his heroism below.

 

LZ Baldy was an Americal Division fire support base located northwest of Chu Lai in Quang Nam Province, RVN. LZ Baldy was the field headquarters for the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. It was heavily defended with 105mm and 155mm artillery, 106mm recoilless rifles, and numerous sandbagged perimeter bunkers. Around the compound, row upon row of barbed wire were infused with dozens of claymore mines. This massive defensive wall was supposed to keep the Americans at Baldy secure. Nevertheless, an attempt to overrun LZ Baldy occurred on May 12, 1969. There were three separate assaults beginning about 9:00 PM by local Viet Cong supported by a well-equipped North Vietnamese Regular Army reinforced-battalion. Twenty Viet Cong sappers were successful in penetrating the perimeter, many of whom reached the top of the mountain where the 523rd Signal Battalion’s VHF operations were located. Several of the Battalion’s personnel had to defend their radio operation which they were able to keep on the air all night. Elsewhere on the base, five Americans died keeping the attackers at bay. SP5 Thomas M. Barr, a company clerk, was killed by an enemy rocket which impacted behind him as he was lugging mortar rounds to the perimeter bunkers in need of more ammunition. Two members of the artillery battery, CWO Homer P. Kendrick and SP5 David A. Lefler, died in a friendly-fire incident when their bunker was hit by an errant rocket fired from a supporting American gunship. Several others were also wounded in the blast. And SGT Arthur E. Scott and SP4 Wendell A. Weston were killed after suffering fragmentation wounds from enemy rockets or mortars. Another 24 U.S. personnel were wounded during the assault. Two days later the Battalion chaplain went to LZ Baldy and held a small memorial service for the fallen defenders. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and information provided by Bill Phillips (January 2019)Courtesy of Bill Phillips)

 

Richard G. Bauer

Sp5 Richard Bauer was a passenger on a chopper that was lost in a storm in 1969. 4 years later local tribesman discover the wreckage and reported it to the right people. Bauer's Mother could not believe that her son had actually been located and only after forensic proof removed all doubt was she able to accept this most terrible of Mother's nightmares.

 Gary Edwin Bullock

Sp4 Gary Bullock is the first KIA I have come across with my exact rank and MOS. I, too. was a "watercraft operator" for the Army in Vietnam.

Other than that there is very little information available about what happened to him. I saw one mention in a report that said "bunker collapse" on a off shore site. Nothing more. 

Ironically, I had a buddy from Alaska who was, also, a boat operator. I wonder how many from Alaska could have been the same?

Next time, on October 4th, we will return to Arizona, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served and/or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group.

Next time, on October 4th, we will return to Arizona, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served and/or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group.

Washington XXIII

Anacortes is located on Fidalgo Island and is easily accessible via bridges to the mainland. I have featured the memorial here before and you can see that post here.

The three from Anacortes who were lost are:  

Darwin Engman

WO1 Engman was piloting a chopper near Thanh Son when it was shot down. Several others were lost in the crash of from ground fire while trying to escape the chopper.  

Russell Hibler

SGT Russell Hibler was lost on March 30, 1970 to multiple fragmentation wounds. He was lost in the Thua Thien Province.

Gordon Logan

CPL Gordon W. Logan was a paratrooper who was lost on November 12, 1969 at Binh Dinh. On his VVMF page it specifies "other explosive device" without further explanation. I could find no other information about this hero. How very sad that is. 

Next time, on September 9th, we will return to West Virginia, to honor others so worthy of our admiration and never ending respect. Join me there, at 9:00 am., as always.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron from Florida, Tim from Virginia, Molly from Florida, Colleen from Pennsylvania, Elli from Maryland, and Peg and Ray from Florida, among others, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. I even got one from Ireland! These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served and/or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here.

I hope all those listed here will encourage you to send along photos and join the group!