A Note From the Virtual Wall
On 25 May 1969 Bravo Company, 1/3 Marines, was holding a defensive position about 5 kilometers southwest of Cam Lo (in Quang Tri Province just south of the DMZ). The position had received enemy 82mm mortar fire during the morning hours, apparently without harm, but the company's luck changed in the afternoon. The Command Chronology reports that
'At 251745H, at Bravo Company position vicinity YD055684, the NVA firing 82mm mortars ... dropped one round into the increments pit of the 81mm mortars, setting them on fire, fire spread to the 81mm ammo in the ammo pits, this started the 81mm ammo going off, and the fire spread to a pallet of 81mm ammo near the position, causing it to explode. People trying to put out the fire before the explosion got too close, Bravo suffered 8 KIA, 29 WIA, and 2 MIA. Rounds continued to cook off, making it impossible that night to get every one of the KIA or WIA out. Company forced to move off hill by continuous explosions.'
On the morning of the 26th the Marines regrouped, reoccupied the position, and recovered additional bodies, increasing the casualty count to 12 dead. No identifiable remains were recovered for two Marines known to be present, and a week later one of the wounded died of his injuries. The fifteen men were
1stLt John W. Abbott, Hammond, IN, Bravo 1/3
2ndLt Timothy M. O'Neill, St Louis, MO, Bravo 1/3
Cpl Gary D. Carter, Tyler, TX, Bravo 1/3
Cpl Daniel L. Pucci, Berea, OH, Bravo 1/3 (DoW 06/02/1969)
Cpl Jan Rauschkolb, Denver, CO, H&S 1/3
Cpl William F. Skaggs, St Paul, MN, Bravo 1/3
LCpl Paul A. Graff, Sunnyvale, CA, H&S 1/3
LCpl Michael A. Powell, Atlanta, GA, H&S 1/3
LCpl John Winters, Clark, NJ, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Jimmy K. Church, Columbus, OH, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Keith A. Kahlstorf, Britt, IA, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Edward T. O'Donovan, Chicago, IL, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Jim J. Walters, Sioux City, IA, Bravo 1/3
Pfc Leroy C. Williams, Jacksonville, FL, Bravo 1/3 (Body not recovered)
Pvt Monek Weitz, Roxbury, MA, A Btry, 1/12 Marines (Body not recovered)
May 25, 2012 |
