18 Jul 2008 REMEMBERED by his daughter, Julie Bynum jbynum@verizon.net

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The Khe Sanh Combat Base drew enemy artillery and mortar fire on a continuing basis, and tracking down and destroying the enemy positions was an equally continuous activity on the part of the Marines. On 27 June 1967 the Combined Action Company at Khe Sanh sent a patrol to Hill 689, 4 kilometers west of the combat base, to look for suspected mortar sites. As the patrol reached the crest of Hill 689 they encountered a much larger NVA force and were ejected from the hilltop with two dead and two men missing in action. India 3/26, which was returning from an overnight patrol, was diverted to Hill 689 to assist the CAC OSCAR Marines. The Company Commander sent the 1st and 2nd Platoons up the hill on slightly divergent courses, intending to take the NVA from two directions. Both platoons encountered heavy enemy fire and the remainder of India 3/26 moved in to assist. At the same time, Lima 3/26 was lifted into the area. By 1930 the crest of Hill 689 had been cleared of NVA and India and Lima joined to form a consolidated night defensive position. Both MIAs from CAC OSCAR had been found dead, and the 3/26 Marines lost 14 men in the engagement - a total of 18 Americans killed in the action. A week later LCpl Charles Gattis died from wounds received on Hill 689, raising the toll to 19 men. The Virtual Wall can identify only 18 of the 19; the "missing man" is suspected to one of two artillerymen from A Btry, 1/13 Marines who died at Khe Sanh on the 27th ... but we cannot prove it. The 18 are Combined Action Company OSCAR (Khe Sanh) Cpl Dennis A. O'Connor, Anaheim, CA Cpl James M. Shepard, Marshall, WI LCpl Charles A. Lynch, New York, NY LCpl Francisco A. Mazariegos, Tampa, FL H&S Co, 3rd Bn, 26th Marines HN3 Carl D. Dudley, Rocky Mount, NC I Co, 3rd Bn, 26th Marines 2ndLt Dale C. Allen, Deshler, OH (2nd Platoon Commander) SSgt Donald P. Hamilton, Alicia, AR Cpl Anthony Dicesare, Trenton, NJ Cpl Richard L. Walker, Pikesville, MD Cpl Stephen G. Wassenich, Dayton, OH LCpl Jeffrey J. David, Camp Hill, PA LCpl Charles M. Gattis, Crete, IL (DoW 07/05/1967) LCpl Alejandro R. Godinez, Los Angeles, CA LCpl Freddie L. Johnson, Sandersville, GA LCpl Kenneth A. Millard, Long Beach, CA L Co, 3rd Bn, 26th Marines Capt Franklin D. Bynum, Columbus, GA (Company Commander) Pfc Fredrick J. Brenke, St Peter, MN Pfc William J. Williams, Elizabethton, TN

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