Robert Mason Journell

The database page for Robert Mason Journell

27 Mar 2008 Robert "Sparky" Journell was a high school classmate of mine. I've often wondered why I was spared and he wasn't. From a friend, Harold Criner harold.criner@gmail.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall Hill 927 was located 20 miles due west of Hue and about 7 miles northeast of the northern end of the A Shau Valley. The 1st Cavalry Division built Fire Support Base Carol on Hill 927 in 1968, and it was used by elements of the 101st Airborne as early as January 1969. The position was of considerable importance because it lay only 5 miles north of Hill 1615, also known as Co Pung Mountain or "The Warehouse", wherein was hidden a major logistics complex which supported the North Vietnamese Army's 29th and 803rd Regiments. Hill 927 was abandoned, then reopened by ground assault on 11 Apr 1970. Elements of the 101st Airborne took up residence in what was now known as Fire Support Base Ripcord and proceeded to make life miserable for the NVA commands in and around the Co Pung. This situation elicited a violent response from the NVA leading to the "Siege of FSB Ripcord" in June-July 1970. The three-week period covering the siege cost the 101st Airborne 75 killed and 345 wounded in action before FSB Ripcord was again abandoned on 23 July 1970. Hill 805, which lies 1.5 kilometers east-southeast of FSB Ripcord, was the location of heavy fighting throughout much of July. On 21-22 July, the 1st and 2nd Bns, 506th Infantry lost twenty men there: B Btry, 2nd Bn, 319th Artillery 2LT Steven A. Olson, Chamblee, GA HHC, 326th Med Bn SGT Brent R. Law, St Johns, MI D Co, 1st Bn, 506th Infantry CPT Donald R. Workman, Kirkwood, MO SFC Ronald J. Schultz, Hillsboro, KS CPL Frank L. Asher, Hamilton, OH CPL Peter P. Huk, Cedar Rapids, IA HHC, 1st Bn, 506th Infantry CPL Robert B. Hays, Weslaco, TX A Co, 2nd Bn, 506th Infantry 1LT William A. Pahissa, Tucson, AZ SSG John W. Kreckel, Milwaukee, WI (Dist Svc Cross) SSG Gerald B. Singleton, Indio, CA SGT Harvey R. Neal, South Boston, VA SGT Thomas R. Schultz, Pittsburgh, PA CPL John M. Babich, Franklin Grove, IL CPL Virgil M. Bixby, Iowa City, IA CPL Robert J. Brown, Buffalo, NY CPL Danny J. Fries, Council Bluffs, IA SP4 Robert M. Journell, Salem, VA SP4 Donald J. Severson, Superior, WI B Co, 2nd Bn, 506th Infantry CPL Francis E. Maune, Washington, MO HHC, 2nd Bn, 506th Infantry SGT Mark G. Draper, Finly, IN

The point-of-contact for this memorial is a friend, Harold Criner harold.criner@gmail.com

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 27 Mar 2008
Last updated 11/13/2010