by Heather Huber, Courier staff
In 1972, the last 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment Soldier died in the Republic of South Vietnam. Now almost 40 years later, all 266 Soldiers from the unit, who died during the Vietnam War, have been immortalized at Fort Campbell.
A ceremony was held Friday at the battalion headquarters to unveil a monument dedicated to the fallen of the 1-502nd. “It’s never to long for these people to be recognized,” said Tom Barrett, memorial committee chairman. “These people weren’t recognized 40 years ago. These people didn’t choose the war they fought in. These people just stood up and did their duty and accepted the ultimate fate.”
Back in 2004, Barrett was visiting the battalion headquarters with his war buddies, Dave Nesbitt and Wally Morrow, when he saw a monument remembering the Soldiers of 2-502nd who died in Vietnam. The three searched the area but couldn’t find a monument for their fallen. The three men teamed up with Larry Weisbarth and James ‘Doc’ Feliciano, all members of A Company during the war, and over the next six years raised $18,000 starting with the raffle of a rifle captured in Vietnam.
“It was a daunting task,” said Morrow, memorial committee secretary and treasurer. “It’s been a labor of love. As we get older we find out we want to do something for the guys that didn’t come home with us. There are guys there that were great friends. It’s something that had to be done. If we didn’t do it, who was going to?”
Before the monument was revealed, a Silver Star was presented to the Family of Pvt. John Martin. Martin distinguished himself while serving as a machine gunner with the first platoon of company A, July 8, 1969 near Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam. The first platoon was moving along a narrow jungle trail when it was ambushed by a company sized enemy force. Martin immediately returned fire, opening a gap in the enemy’s ambush and the remainder of the squad quickly moved through the opening in order to get out of the killing zone. Martin then lead the squad through the thick underbrush coming face to face with the enemy on numerous occasions. Each time a carefully aimed burst from his machine gun silenced the enemy and allowed the men to move on in their attempt to get back to the company. The overpowering enemy reduced the squad down to Martin and his assistant gunner. As the men broke into an open area, four or five enemy soldiers jumped on Martin in what seemed to be an attempt to take him prisoner. He struggled with them and managed to seriously wound two of them. The enemy then fired upon him, knocking him to the ground and wounding him several times. With his machine gun out of ammunition, he got to his feet and fought the enemy using hand to hand combat until he succumbed to his wounds.
Martin was awarded the Silver Star posthumously, but his Family never received the award. On Friday, Capt. (Ret.) Mike Donovan, Martin’s platoon leader at the time, presented the award to Martin’s brother, Elmer Martin.
To mark the occasion, Nesbitt spoke as both a friend and a Soldier who had walked along side many of the fallen. “You and I are gathered here today, lest we forget, lest our nation forget those who sacrificed the breath of life in all our wars right up to the present day,” Nesbitt said. “The measure of such sacrifice can never be taken. It cannot be matched by anything one human being can do for another. The sacrifice of one’s life is eternal, it lasts forever. We all paid a price, but none so much as the 266 men whose names are engraved upon this monument. I say to you, all the monuments in the world are not worth the life of one of these brave men we honor today. But this is our way of preserving their memory. It is fitting that their names stand here on this monument for all the world to see so they won’t forget that freedom is not free.”
In 1972, the last 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment Soldier died in the Republic of South Vietnam. Now almost 40 years later, all 266 Soldiers from the unit, who died during the Vietnam War, have been immortalized at Fort Campbell.
A ceremony was held Friday at the battalion headquarters to unveil a monument dedicated to the fallen of the 1-502nd. “It’s never to long for these people to be recognized,” said Tom Barrett, memorial committee chairman. “These people weren’t recognized 40 years ago. These people didn’t choose the war they fought in. These people just stood up and did their duty and accepted the ultimate fate.”
Back in 2004, Barrett was visiting the battalion headquarters with his war buddies, Dave Nesbitt and Wally Morrow, when he saw a monument remembering the Soldiers of 2-502nd who died in Vietnam. The three searched the area but couldn’t find a monument for their fallen. The three men teamed up with Larry Weisbarth and James ‘Doc’ Feliciano, all members of A Company during the war, and over the next six years raised $18,000 starting with the raffle of a rifle captured in Vietnam.
“It was a daunting task,” said Morrow, memorial committee secretary and treasurer. “It’s been a labor of love. As we get older we find out we want to do something for the guys that didn’t come home with us. There are guys there that were great friends. It’s something that had to be done. If we didn’t do it, who was going to?”
Before the monument was revealed, a Silver Star was presented to the Family of Pvt. John Martin. Martin distinguished himself while serving as a machine gunner with the first platoon of company A, July 8, 1969 near Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam. The first platoon was moving along a narrow jungle trail when it was ambushed by a company sized enemy force. Martin immediately returned fire, opening a gap in the enemy’s ambush and the remainder of the squad quickly moved through the opening in order to get out of the killing zone. Martin then lead the squad through the thick underbrush coming face to face with the enemy on numerous occasions. Each time a carefully aimed burst from his machine gun silenced the enemy and allowed the men to move on in their attempt to get back to the company. The overpowering enemy reduced the squad down to Martin and his assistant gunner. As the men broke into an open area, four or five enemy soldiers jumped on Martin in what seemed to be an attempt to take him prisoner. He struggled with them and managed to seriously wound two of them. The enemy then fired upon him, knocking him to the ground and wounding him several times. With his machine gun out of ammunition, he got to his feet and fought the enemy using hand to hand combat until he succumbed to his wounds.
Martin was awarded the Silver Star posthumously, but his Family never received the award. On Friday, Capt. (Ret.) Mike Donovan, Martin’s platoon leader at the time, presented the award to Martin’s brother, Elmer Martin.
To mark the occasion, Nesbitt spoke as both a friend and a Soldier who had walked along side many of the fallen. “You and I are gathered here today, lest we forget, lest our nation forget those who sacrificed the breath of life in all our wars right up to the present day,” Nesbitt said. “The measure of such sacrifice can never be taken. It cannot be matched by anything one human being can do for another. The sacrifice of one’s life is eternal, it lasts forever. We all paid a price, but none so much as the 266 men whose names are engraved upon this monument. I say to you, all the monuments in the world are not worth the life of one of these brave men we honor today. But this is our way of preserving their memory. It is fitting that their names stand here on this monument for all the world to see so they won’t forget that freedom is not free.”
1st Bn 502nd Infantry Veterans attending the dedication.
TALON NEWSLETTER ABOUT DEDICATION
1st BATTALION 502nd INFANTRY TROOPERS
WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
1967
George BinkoWilliam A. Cason
1968
John V. Akin
Thomas S. Alfred
Edwin L. Armstrong
Craig A. Arndt
John H. Barnes
Reginald C. Bell
Willard G. Bellomy
Philip C. Benn
Thomas D. Bernard
Danny E. Blevins
Richard L. Borgman
William J. Bowers
Donald R. Brogdon
David A. Brown
John T. Brown
Raymond Brown
Florentino Cantu, Jr.
Bernard J. Caron
Clinton R. Carpenter, Jr.
Alvin Carr
Mark O. Charette
Jerry W. Clark
Robert L. Clewlow
Shelby E. Cooley
Donald A. Coffin
Toby E. Collins
James S. Combs
Patrick C. Coughlin
Frank W. Cox, Jr.
Charles J. Crawford, Jr.
Daniel W. Daley
Michael D. David
Ronald D. Davis
Robert J. Deike
Clyde L. DeMello
Jack E. Derrico
Frank R. Dimmitt
Ernest E. Fawks
Philip R. Fink
Michael J. Fordi
Ralph H. Franck
Richard A. Friend
Meredith A. Gabriel
Walter L. Gawel
Joseph Gerwatowski
Gelasio N. Gomez, Jr.
Johnnie Gooden
Henry Gregory
Miles R. Gregoire
Alvin R. Givvle
James E. Hamilton
Ronnie Harrell
Albert R. Haynes
Robert J. Hess
Edward M. Heiser
Patrick B. Hession
Randall S. Hill
Frank L. Hoge
Thomas M. Holcombe
Joseph P. Holland
John E. Hood
Mark L. Hook
John R. Horton
John K. House
Arthur J. Hoyt
Glen D. Hubbard
Samuel B. Hudson
John T. Intihar
Herman Jackson
Mack S. Jeffries
Benjamin A. Jones
Everett S. Jones
Wayne H. Kelman
Wayne M. Kidwell
Daniel L. Kinnard
Joseph T. Kovaloff
Philip J. Krek, Jr.
Raymond G. Kriskovick
Dennis J. Kromrey
Wayne D. Krueger
David J. Latraille
Donnie J. Lawhorne
David R. Lehr
Fagalii L. Leatutufu
Ronald R. Levesque
Roger M. Link
Richard L. Long
James M. Ludwig
Ronnie D. Luman
Larry E. Lutz
John A. Martinez
James P. Mason
Thomas McCray
James E. McClafferty
William W. McConnell
Herman McGee
Tilghman R. McLemore
Ronald L. Means
Gary P. Meringa
Lawrence J. Merschel
Vernell H. Miller, Jr.
Larry T. Miller
James R. Moore
Ronnie G. Moore
John F. Moran
Billy E. Myers
Joe M. Neill
Eric B. Nilsen
Henry Norfleet, Jr.
Thomas Norton
Charles E. Novel
Paul G. Olenzuk
Stephen F. Palazzola
Terryl G. Partsafas
Larry G. Patterson
Richard W. Pershing
Phillip W. Pigford
Delmar W. Probst
Kenneth R. Quan
Gary A. Rhodes
Joseph W. Rounseville
Salvatore A. Rowe
James W. Roy III
Randall L. Saunders
Gregory R. Shambaugh
Michael A. Shramko
David L. Simon
Joe W. Smith
Michael B. Snyder
Sonnie Stephens
Mark G. Stickels
Stanley A. Stys
Eugene F. Sweet, Jr.
Warren G. Tedrick, Jr.
Gary D. Templeton
Benjamin J. Terejko, Jr.
Hoyle Terry, Jr.
Arie Terry
Howard A. Threet
Jimmy M. Trollinger
Alfred Urdiales, Jr.
Oscar Valenzuela
George E. Valker III
William Vazquez
George M. Victor
Rodolfo Villafranco
Valentine B. Vollmer
Douglas B. Wade
Donald S. Waite
Victor B. Weissman
Gary R. Wiginton
James O. West
Michael P. Whelan
Reginald Williams, Jr.
James E. Williams
Ben H. Williams
Donald W. Williams
George M. Wisham, Jr.
Larry E. Wittler
Don J. Yelverton
Edward Zamora
1969
Vernon D. Artis
Douglas W. Bice
Ralph N. Bickford
David F. Black
James M. Bogacz
Roy B. Boyd
Miguel E. Briales
Walter T. Bryant
Thomas Brooks, Jr.
Daniel M. Brown
David E. Buttry
Russell B. Carson
Donald Christie
David J. Collins
Charles D. Crosby
Robert W. Dean
William L. Dent
Bruce D. Dick
James C. Doloughty
Willie C. Dozier
Johnny L. Edwards
Jesus Encarnacion-Betencourt
Neal D. Epifanio
Gary L. Evans
Bobby G. Farmer
Steve Flaherty
Gerard J. Flieger
Michael Forbes
Edward J. Frendling
William R. Garner
Carter L. Graves
Robert R. Guerra
John Hale, Jr.
Jimmy L. Henry
Charlie Hill III
Gregg C. Hinderks
Michael J. Holloway
Henry D. Hunter
Thomas W. Hurlbut
Max. A. Johnson
Phil D. Johnson
Robert E. King (TN)
Robert E. King (SC)
Michael L. Malin II
James H. Manning
Paul D. Martinez, Jr.
John D. Martin
Robert E. McAfterty
Leslie L. McCorkle
Robert F. McDonald II
Joseph D. Melonson, Jr.
John W. Mendez
Craig S. Mettling
Thomas Michael
Richard C. Miller
Louis T. Mills
Rene C. Mischeaux
Bedford A. Morris, Jr.
Anthony A. Neville
William B. Offerdahl
Donald L. Olive
David D. Ouellette
Robert D. Paulus
Roosevelt F. Penn
Paul J. Peoples
Arturo Pelajio
Errol W. Perreira
Dwayne R. Pickart
John A. Ramirez
Mervin R. Richter
Miguel A. Rivera
Walter E. Roberts
Heinrich Ruhlmann
Leroy Rutherford
Glenn T. Shibata
William E. Sisley
Olen W. Smith
Glenn L. Sparks
Daniel Sullivan
Robert E. Van Dusen
Nelson O. Van Houten
Thomas J. Vasil
Truman J. Walsh
Daniel K. Wapinski
Steven A. Wessel
Michael J. White
Ronnie R. White
Donald L. Wickline, Jr.
1970
Lee T. Baiz
Donald E. Bartek
Michael A. Gross
Gerald L. Hamilton
Phillip M. Horst
Robert J. Muellenbach
William J. Odstrcil
Stephen T. Smith
Richard E. Toney
Wilford A. Young
1971
Jeffrey E. Cowley
Zbigniew J. Dalenta
Gilbert Dowell
Robert J. Dutkiewcz
Thomas J. Gettelfinger
Ralph W. Jones
Gordon L. Kimmel
George A. Pacheco
Robert D. Pierce
Wilfred N. Poepping
Hiawatha H. Williams
Leroy White, Jr.
John L. Wilson
1972
Richard L. Wilson
WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
1967
George BinkoWilliam A. Cason
1968
John V. Akin
Thomas S. Alfred
Edwin L. Armstrong
Craig A. Arndt
John H. Barnes
Reginald C. Bell
Willard G. Bellomy
Philip C. Benn
Thomas D. Bernard
Danny E. Blevins
Richard L. Borgman
William J. Bowers
Donald R. Brogdon
David A. Brown
John T. Brown
Raymond Brown
Florentino Cantu, Jr.
Bernard J. Caron
Clinton R. Carpenter, Jr.
Alvin Carr
Mark O. Charette
Jerry W. Clark
Robert L. Clewlow
Shelby E. Cooley
Donald A. Coffin
Toby E. Collins
James S. Combs
Patrick C. Coughlin
Frank W. Cox, Jr.
Charles J. Crawford, Jr.
Daniel W. Daley
Michael D. David
Ronald D. Davis
Robert J. Deike
Clyde L. DeMello
Jack E. Derrico
Frank R. Dimmitt
Ernest E. Fawks
Philip R. Fink
Michael J. Fordi
Ralph H. Franck
Richard A. Friend
Meredith A. Gabriel
Walter L. Gawel
Joseph Gerwatowski
Gelasio N. Gomez, Jr.
Johnnie Gooden
Henry Gregory
Miles R. Gregoire
Alvin R. Givvle
James E. Hamilton
Ronnie Harrell
Albert R. Haynes
Robert J. Hess
Edward M. Heiser
Patrick B. Hession
Randall S. Hill
Frank L. Hoge
Thomas M. Holcombe
Joseph P. Holland
John E. Hood
Mark L. Hook
John R. Horton
John K. House
Arthur J. Hoyt
Glen D. Hubbard
Samuel B. Hudson
John T. Intihar
Herman Jackson
Mack S. Jeffries
Benjamin A. Jones
Everett S. Jones
Wayne H. Kelman
Wayne M. Kidwell
Daniel L. Kinnard
Joseph T. Kovaloff
Philip J. Krek, Jr.
Raymond G. Kriskovick
Dennis J. Kromrey
Wayne D. Krueger
David J. Latraille
Donnie J. Lawhorne
David R. Lehr
Fagalii L. Leatutufu
Ronald R. Levesque
Roger M. Link
Richard L. Long
James M. Ludwig
Ronnie D. Luman
Larry E. Lutz
John A. Martinez
James P. Mason
Thomas McCray
James E. McClafferty
William W. McConnell
Herman McGee
Tilghman R. McLemore
Ronald L. Means
Gary P. Meringa
Lawrence J. Merschel
Vernell H. Miller, Jr.
Larry T. Miller
James R. Moore
Ronnie G. Moore
John F. Moran
Billy E. Myers
Joe M. Neill
Eric B. Nilsen
Henry Norfleet, Jr.
Thomas Norton
Charles E. Novel
Paul G. Olenzuk
Stephen F. Palazzola
Terryl G. Partsafas
Larry G. Patterson
Richard W. Pershing
Phillip W. Pigford
Delmar W. Probst
Kenneth R. Quan
Gary A. Rhodes
Joseph W. Rounseville
Salvatore A. Rowe
James W. Roy III
Randall L. Saunders
Gregory R. Shambaugh
Michael A. Shramko
David L. Simon
Joe W. Smith
Michael B. Snyder
Sonnie Stephens
Mark G. Stickels
Stanley A. Stys
Eugene F. Sweet, Jr.
Warren G. Tedrick, Jr.
Gary D. Templeton
Benjamin J. Terejko, Jr.
Hoyle Terry, Jr.
Arie Terry
Howard A. Threet
Jimmy M. Trollinger
Alfred Urdiales, Jr.
Oscar Valenzuela
George E. Valker III
William Vazquez
George M. Victor
Rodolfo Villafranco
Valentine B. Vollmer
Douglas B. Wade
Donald S. Waite
Victor B. Weissman
Gary R. Wiginton
James O. West
Michael P. Whelan
Reginald Williams, Jr.
James E. Williams
Ben H. Williams
Donald W. Williams
George M. Wisham, Jr.
Larry E. Wittler
Don J. Yelverton
Edward Zamora
1969
Vernon D. Artis
Douglas W. Bice
Ralph N. Bickford
David F. Black
James M. Bogacz
Roy B. Boyd
Miguel E. Briales
Walter T. Bryant
Thomas Brooks, Jr.
Daniel M. Brown
David E. Buttry
Russell B. Carson
Donald Christie
David J. Collins
Charles D. Crosby
Robert W. Dean
William L. Dent
Bruce D. Dick
James C. Doloughty
Willie C. Dozier
Johnny L. Edwards
Jesus Encarnacion-Betencourt
Neal D. Epifanio
Gary L. Evans
Bobby G. Farmer
Steve Flaherty
Gerard J. Flieger
Michael Forbes
Edward J. Frendling
William R. Garner
Carter L. Graves
Robert R. Guerra
John Hale, Jr.
Jimmy L. Henry
Charlie Hill III
Gregg C. Hinderks
Michael J. Holloway
Henry D. Hunter
Thomas W. Hurlbut
Max. A. Johnson
Phil D. Johnson
Robert E. King (TN)
Robert E. King (SC)
Michael L. Malin II
James H. Manning
Paul D. Martinez, Jr.
John D. Martin
Robert E. McAfterty
Leslie L. McCorkle
Robert F. McDonald II
Joseph D. Melonson, Jr.
John W. Mendez
Craig S. Mettling
Thomas Michael
Richard C. Miller
Louis T. Mills
Rene C. Mischeaux
Bedford A. Morris, Jr.
Anthony A. Neville
William B. Offerdahl
Donald L. Olive
David D. Ouellette
Robert D. Paulus
Roosevelt F. Penn
Paul J. Peoples
Arturo Pelajio
Errol W. Perreira
Dwayne R. Pickart
John A. Ramirez
Mervin R. Richter
Miguel A. Rivera
Walter E. Roberts
Heinrich Ruhlmann
Leroy Rutherford
Glenn T. Shibata
William E. Sisley
Olen W. Smith
Glenn L. Sparks
Daniel Sullivan
Robert E. Van Dusen
Nelson O. Van Houten
Thomas J. Vasil
Truman J. Walsh
Daniel K. Wapinski
Steven A. Wessel
Michael J. White
Ronnie R. White
Donald L. Wickline, Jr.
1970
Lee T. Baiz
Donald E. Bartek
Michael A. Gross
Gerald L. Hamilton
Phillip M. Horst
Robert J. Muellenbach
William J. Odstrcil
Stephen T. Smith
Richard E. Toney
Wilford A. Young
1971
Jeffrey E. Cowley
Zbigniew J. Dalenta
Gilbert Dowell
Robert J. Dutkiewcz
Thomas J. Gettelfinger
Ralph W. Jones
Gordon L. Kimmel
George A. Pacheco
Robert D. Pierce
Wilfred N. Poepping
Hiawatha H. Williams
Leroy White, Jr.
John L. Wilson
1972
Richard L. Wilson
1st BATTALION 502nd INFANTRY
BATTLE CAMPAIGNS
1967 - 1972
The United States Army participated in 17 Battle Campaigns in the Republic of Vietnam during the period of 1962 - 1973.The 1st Battalion 502nd Infantry participated in the 13 campaigns listed below.
The Streamer is yellow in color with three red stripes through the center. It has a green stripe on each side. The yellow with red stripes was suggested by the flag of the Republic of Vietnam. The green alludes to the jungle. The following inscriptions in white are authorized:
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE II 1966-1967VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE III 1967-1968
TET COUNTEROFFENSIVE 1968
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE IV 1968
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE V 1968
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE VI, 1968-1969
TET 69/COUNTEROFFENSIVE, 1969
VIETNAM SUMMER-FALL 1969
VIETNAM WINTER-SPRING 1970
SANCTUARY COUNTEROFFENSIVE 1970
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE VII, 1970-1971
CONSOLIDATION I 1971
CONSOLIDATION II 1971-1972
BATTLE CAMPAIGNS
1967 - 1972
The United States Army participated in 17 Battle Campaigns in the Republic of Vietnam during the period of 1962 - 1973.The 1st Battalion 502nd Infantry participated in the 13 campaigns listed below.
The Streamer is yellow in color with three red stripes through the center. It has a green stripe on each side. The yellow with red stripes was suggested by the flag of the Republic of Vietnam. The green alludes to the jungle. The following inscriptions in white are authorized:
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE II 1966-1967VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE III 1967-1968
TET COUNTEROFFENSIVE 1968
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE IV 1968
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE V 1968
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE VI, 1968-1969
TET 69/COUNTEROFFENSIVE, 1969
VIETNAM SUMMER-FALL 1969
VIETNAM WINTER-SPRING 1970
SANCTUARY COUNTEROFFENSIVE 1970
VIETNAM COUNTEROFFENSIVE, PHASE VII, 1970-1971
CONSOLIDATION I 1971
CONSOLIDATION II 1971-1972