These "empty chairs" sit at the table which is the life of "LP" Grunt Lima Co. 2nd Platoon, 2nd Squad 3/3/3, 68-69
#160I
have lived for 29 years wishing I could do something for the
brave men that were in my squad in Quang Tri Province in the
vicinity of Ky Lam and Ky Truc....as we called this area the
Sand dunes....!!!
My
squad was on line advancing towards an tree line 4 or 5 hundred
meters away....we received enemy small arms fire...very intense
from the tree line...all we had to get behind was an about 12
inches of sand...
After
we hit the ground....automatic weapons fired upon us...this is
when L/cpl Fred L.Thrift tried to advance towards the
automatic fire...he was hit and fell...wounded by the small arms
fire....at this time PFC Ronnie W. Smith went to his aid...where
he was wounded also....both KIA's at this time.....!!!
I
was 20 feet or so from them and couldnt do anything but return
fire and stay behind the 12 inch mound of sand....after awhile
Tanks came up from 3rd Tank Bn. to fire point blank into the
automatic weapons to stop them....
Both
of these FINE men were from Alabama....and had become friends
while in Nam....
Both
of these men were KIA's on 28 May 68.....
According
to intelligence reports:
We
were fighting the 64th and 52nd regiments of the 320th NVA Divisions
that day....plus elements of the 4th and 6th infantry Battalions
along with a supply unit...all NVA units....