John “DJ” Krone
nitrate66lrrp@yahoo.com
SFC., Floyd was, my 1SG.
Harbor City, Ca., 90710, USA

I’ll Never Forget
About mid-April, 1969, SFC. Floyd came to my LZ. and asked, for LRRP volunteers and he inspired me to join, the 3rd, Brigade, 4th, ID., LRRPS., at LZ., Oasis. He was the 1SG., of that unit and during my assignment, conducting patrols deep, in enemy controlled territory, SFC. Floyd was there, during the insertions and extractions. He was a man, well-respected and admired, by the ranger, unit and was the kind of leader, one rarely sees. He was in short, my mentor. SFC. Floyd had already served in country a minimum of two years already. During one patrol, that went badly, SP/4, Jerry Hodges and I became separated, from our other three LRRP members, in an area known, to have a company, of NVA. In short, Hodges and I were lost, without any radio, but we didn’t lose our nerve. It was SFC. Floyd who arrived by chopper to extract us after our signals were seen from above. SFC. Floyd just gave, that “look” and didn’t have to say a word knowing he didn’t lose confidence in the soldiers we were. I learned to pattern myself from SFC. Floyd, during the ensuing, months and grew, because of his leadership. I wished he made it home, safe, but that wasn’t meant to be. Our country lost a patriot, a hero, a man who Rangers, admired and I… I lost my friend, who believed in me. His end came on April 2, 1970.  He posthumously earned the DSC serving the country he loved. In my 50th, year, I scaled the top of Mount Whitney, our highest elevation and entered the name of SFC. Alvin Winslow Floyd in a logbook there, “beyond where eagles fly and closer for heaven to see, a hero’s name.” No, I’ll never forget.

John Smith

Sgt. Floyd was a Ranger who served, on Long, Range Recon. patrol. He and others, on his team were KIA after being inserted by helicopter, on a mission, in the middle, of an enemy held area. He was one of America’s, best and bravest, a real hero and not forgotten!

Arthur Bailey
Friend, Classmate, Fellow Officer
Classmate and Friend – With Respect

Your confidence, sense of humor, energy, former Marine Corps experiences, and soldierly qualities inspired many of us as we worked our way through Officer Candidate School at Fort Knox in 1966 – 67, and continued to remind us of you in our later combat service. Thanks for continuing to be the example. Arthur Bailey, Colonel, Armor, U.S. Army, Retired.

George Steuber
steubergw@aol.com
He was my commanding officer.
428N Chickasha Road
Fort Sill, OK 73503

My Inspiration.
Major Calvin T. Gore was the third and last commanding officer I served under at Monkey Mountain Forward Observation Base, MACVSOG, OP-36B. He was a fair man who treated all his NCOs and officers with dignity and respect. In my case, as the most junior NCO in the unit, he treated me more like a father. In my career since then, I have always tried to do what I believe MAJ Gore would have done. I am proud to have served with him, and I believe the world is a lesser place for his passing. George W. Steuber Colonel, Field Artillery.

Craig Chamberlain
crcpiper@aol.com
OCS Classmate and good friend

Cal Gore and I were together at Benning School for Boys-OC 4 1959. Later served together at Benning-Advance Course- and were fellow company commanders. We were both batchelors at the time and thoroughly enjoyed raising hell and driving fast cars. He preceeded me to RVN in 66 and tried to get me in SOG. Sounded too dicey for my taste and I went to Fifth Group instead. Was back at Bragg when he was killed and was one of the pallbearers at his funeral in Wilmington. Think of Cal quite often and the good times we had. He was a great Buddy, one hell of a soldier and I miss him. Col Craig R. Chamberlain USA (Ret).

Michael Collins
legranger25@msn.com
5th US Cavalry 1st Cavalry Division
http://www.ranger25.com

LT Moog served with A Company 2nd Battalion 12th US Cavalry 1st Cavalry Division. His name can be found on the A 2-12 Memorial at www.ranger25.com. He is not forgotten.

Vernon Bodenheimer
vbodenheimerjr@triad.rr.com
Friend and Neighbor
5515 W Market St Apt 1005
Greensboro, NC 27409 USA

Phillip left a wife and daughter (wife) Gerry Ware Moog and (daughter) Merry Felice Moog.

Fred Sommers
hifredlee@aol.com

With him when he died.
Even though he wasn’t in NAM long and we only knew each other for a short time he was an outstanding leader and cared for his troops.

Robert Stewart
webmaster@6thofthe31st.zzn.com
Same Battalion
6/31st Wall
http://members.cox.net/cmccammon3/KIA.htm
The 6/31st site has a Wall page in memory of every soldier from the battalion that died in Vietnam. We respectfully request memories from family and friends so that each one of them may be remembered and not be just a name on a wall. Pvt. Savacool was serving with Charlie Company, 6/31st Infantry, 9th Infantry Division at the time of his death.

William Hatcher
WilliamLHatcher@wmconnect.com
High School Friend
2704 Hillside Lane
Augusta, Ga 30909

Old Friend
Wayne and I went through junior high and high school together. We were fellow offensive linemen on the football team and Wayne served as my Junior ROTC Company Commander when we were seniors. He wanted to serve his country and he arrived in Vietnam three years before I did. I think of him often.

Bill Bennett
friend of family
493 SE Nome Dr., Port St. Lucie, Florida, 34984, USA
Just want to thank him for his service to our country and let him and his family know that he and the other heroes will not be forgotten.

Randy Pelt
pelt@vt.edu
High School Buddy
310 Rucker Rd

Blacksburg, VA24060Bill was a high school buddy of mine in Augusta. We talked about going into the Corps together but he went without me. A great guy. We miss you Billy. Capt Ranson J. Pelt, USMC, India and Mike 3/5 1969-70

Tom Gainer
Sergeant USMC 1965-1968

Although I cannot personally be with you today, know that I am there in sprit and I join with you in prayer to ask for God’s help in easing the burden of the lost, so many years ago, of these men which you honor today.
Phillip Pierce was a friend, a fine man, and a squared away Marine. He served God, Country and Corps with honor and pride and those who knew him, especially his family, classmates and friends should be proud to have had him in their lives.
I met Phillip in early 1966 as our Marine battalion was forming up at Camp Pendleton Calif. We both ended up in the same rifle company, India and the same platoon, the 3rd platoon also known as the “3rd herd”. Long story here and not enough time.
As I remember, Phillip was an easy-going guy with a soft tone southern draw and sort of grin for a smile. He never caused any trouble that I can remember. We went on liberty a few times together and drink more than our share of beer together. He never complained about much, not that it did anyone any good to do so. It was the Marine Corps.
From the beginning all of us trained hard, even before we left the states. Once we arrived in Okinawa our training only intensified as we prepared for jungle warfare. During our training, our living arrangements varied from a large cement squad bay where we had our little cubicle defined by a locker to living in 2-man tents out in the bush to sleeping in a hole in the ground. I recall that on one 2-week training mission Phillip, Don Eberle and I shared a lean-to made of bamboo. Living in these types of conditions are what grunt Marines do.
Operation Hastings was our 4th operation in Vietnam and commenced about the 18th of July 1966. This was the first battalion-plus size action of the war and was organized to stop an invasion of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regulars from coming down and across the DMZ, an area separating the north and south and attacking the south.
Our company’s primary mission was to move into the DMZ area which was mostly mountain and hill terrain with heavy triple canopy jungle cover. Once there our mission objective was to proceed to Hill 362 to set up a radio replay point to coordinate the overall communication activity for this operation.
We humped those mountains and hills for 4 days straight thru triple canopy jungle, rain, and heat. Late on the afternoon of July 22nd while down in a streambed just a short distance from our objective, our platoon, which was on point for the company, made contact with the NVA. Our platoon lost 8 Marines that afternoon including Phillip. On the 23rd we regrouped and early on the afternoon of July 24th our company made its way up Hill 362.
Over the next 15 or so hours our company lost 19 additional Marines while in direct close contact with the NVA. In all, our company of 165 Marines suffered 27 KIA in less than 2 days on Operation Hastings, with 116 Purple Hearts awarded, 1 Medal of Honor and 1 Navy Cross plus additional commendations for valor.
Throughout the many years that have passed, Phillip and the other Marines I knew who were lost on Hastings are never far from my thoughts or from the thoughts of the other Marines who survived Operation Hastings. Those of us who survived that battle have held regular reunions each year since 1996. We come together to remember our friends, our fellow Marines and to pay our respects to their families, their sacrifice and valor.
In closing remember this ……. as long as there is a Marine Corps, Phillip and other Marines who have gone on before will never be forgotten, for as the Corps lives, so do those men. Each Marine, past, present, and future carries the legacy of the fallen and of each battle and of those who have served. It’s what Marines do, it’s our tradition and it’s what a brotherhood means.
To Phillip’s family, classmates, friends, and all others in attendance, I remain Semper Fidelis.

Foot Note:
A brick honoring each of the fallen from Operation Hastings has been laid in place at the National Museum of The Marine Corps in Quantico VA along the winding pathway. The brick laying ceremony was held last year and attended by several of us who served with Phillip. If anyone ever travels to the museum, they can locate and visit the brick with Phillip’s name on it. (See the attachment for a picture of his brick).
In addition, a permeant marker has been placed atop First Sargent Hill at Camp Pendleton California. The name of those fallen on Hastings faces towards the setting sun on the Pacific Ocean in remembrance of our trip across that ocean and into battle some 50 years ago. (See the attachment for a couple of pictures. As you will note in the pictures, this location has become a place of remembrance for other fallen Marines from other conflicts).

Bill Yaun

I grew up about 6 blocks from Roy Miller.  He was a very quiet unassuming person who kept to himself but was liked by all us in the neighborhood [Wilkinson Gardens]. I don’t recall his Class at ARC. My understanding was that Roy was attached to a US Army Reserve Unit in Augusta and was part of a callup with a group of them.

Bill Patterson

Roy was one of us in the 319th Transportation Company in Augusta, Georgia, reservists who were called to active duty and sent to join regular Army units in Vietnam in 1968. As we were reservists on a six-year commitment of active and reserve duty, we spent a lot of time together and of course observed each other regularly.
Roy was somewhat unusual and got my attention. He was not athletic or a Hollywood type. He wore thick glasses, had a high-pitched voice near a woman’s range and appeared somewhat clumsy to me. But he was serious. He performed his duties well and was promoted to Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) in Augusta before we were activated. I remember one day at our reserve center he tried to drill a squad of about ten of us on the parking lot. He called the drill as best as he could, but his voice did not instill fear in us “drillees”. We smiled but did as he ordered as we liked him enough.
I got on the commercial bus at the center as we were leaving Augusta for Fort Lee Virginia in May 1968 I believe. Roy was already on board and was looking out the window at his wife and relatives. The seat next to him was open and I asked if I could join him. He did not notice me or respond. He continued to stare out the window and spoke to only himself as he said, “I’m coming home”. My only thought was that none of us really knew that.
We had been in Vietnam for a few weeks I believe. We had learned our work requirements and were going about them for very long hours each day. Roy’s sleeping cot was in my building, across the walkway and two or three cots away from mine. Each day we would return from the convoys and get what little sleep we could.
One evening one of our members came into our building and began to gather Roy’s possessions from his wall and foot lockers. I asked him why this was happening. He told me Roy would not be coming back. He had been accidentally killed that day.
I was of course stunned. I knew we were in war, but Roy was the first casualty in our unit. I well remember his un-slept in bunk that night.
We always got too little sleep. Roy, as all of us did, had dozed for a few minutes under a truck. Another driver trying to sleep in the truck’s cab accidentally released the truck’s brake and the big vehicle rolled over Roy.
Roy was the only one of us to die in Vietnam. He was also the only one who vowed that he was coming home, at least to me.
Over thirty years later our unit was having its annual reunion which included a ceremony at Hillcrest Cemetery in Augusta. Roy did come home in this way and is buried there. At the ceremony was one of Roy’s sisters I believe. I didn’t know her but felt I had to speak to her and tell these observations. I hope my words helped her some. I know they made her cry though.
After many years of trying, our Vietnam veterans from the 319th succeeded in getting the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Augusta re-named the Roy W. Miller Reserve Center. I attended the ceremony as did many of our unit’s veterans. It was an emotional day as the current 319th was being deployed again to the Middle East.
I did not know Roy well and he showed no knowledge of my existence. But I do know he was a good, sincere soldier who did his job and loved his family. He did the right thing and paid the ultimate price for his country and home.