5 Aug 2004 Gabe, you are not forgotten. We knew of each other at MHHS. I well remember when you left for Vietnam, and was greatly sorrowed to learn you were not coming home, except in our hearts. I visited the Moving Wall in White Cloud today to honor you and all of our soldiers. I have thought of you often through the years and will continue to do so. Thank You. From a friend. E-mail address is not available.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The 1/3 Marines' Command Chronology for November 1968 contains the following entry: "At 141615H Co A at LZ LEE (XD953622) point elements made contact with estimated platoon size enemy force in vicinity LZ SIERRA (XD946625). Enemy initiated contact with directional mines, grenades, automatic weapons, and small arms fire. Also fired 60mm mortars on Co A position. Co A countered with direct fire artillery missions, 106mm recoilless rifles, 81mm mortars and utilized fixed wing [air strikes]. Results 7 Marine KIA, 23 Marine WIA. 1 Dog KIA. 5 NVA KIA." The casualty database does list seven Marines who died in Quang Nam Province on 14 November, but one of them is a Marine from Delta 1/4 who died in an accident. There is an Alpha 1/3 Marine listed as killed in action on 15 November - but the 1/3 Chronology denies any deaths that day. It is assumed that person was killed in the action on 14 November and he is listed with the other six men known to have been killed in the action described above: LCpl Gabriel Herrada, Muskegon, MI LCpl Leslie C. Paschal, Kansas City, MO Pfc Jeffrey L. Buchanan, Evansville, IN Pfc John E. Fletcher, Fort Polk, LA Pfc Steven E. Johnson, Yukon, OK (DoW 11/15/1968) Pfc Karl E. Weber, Two Rivers, WI Pvt Delmar Shelley, Chicago, IL The following e-mail was received from a member of Alpha 1/3 who prefers not to be identified: "PFC Johnson died a day after everyone else. The casualties were not medevaced until the following day. He was pronounced dead and taken to the morgue at Dong Hoa, where he sat up. He was immediately raced into surgery but unfortunately he died during surgery."

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