20 Apr 2006 Marine PFC Billy Hugh Henderson Born August 1, 1948 KIA March 6,1968 Was killed near Quang Tri just south of the DZ when he sustained fragmentation wounds to the head and body during hostile artillery fire while on an operation. Body will be shipped back to Ga for full military rites. He was the 11th Colquitt Countian to die in Vietnam. He is survived by widow Brenda and daughter Becky, his parents Mr. and Mrs. M. M. Henderson, four brothers, two sisters, all of Plant City, Florida, and one sister in Tennessee. His father had to be taken away from the burial site in Georgia and taken home to Florida when overcome with grief and became sick. His mom stood proud and steadfast in her grief as the flag was folded, the 21 guns were fired and the lone bugler played Taps. She never got over the loss of Billy. She fondly remembers his being so head-strong that he wanted to be a Marine and do his part. While on leave from boot camp and awaiting his orders to leave for Vietnam, his daughter Becky was born four days before he shipped out. He called to say "It's a girl, Mom, a beautiful little girl". He was a very proud father and Marine. At nineteen years old he gave his life to this country, and he will forever live on in many hearts. We love and Miss you, your family, All the Hendersons tdennis0229@msn.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The area around Con Thien, located just south of the Demilitarized Zone, was a hotbed of North Vietnamese Army activity from the earliest days of US involvement in the ground war. Three NVA divisions were located in or immediately north of the DMZ, and quite commonly would cross into South Vietnam proper. When they did, the NVA were supported by their own heavy artillery firing from within or just north of the DMZ, a degree of firepower not available to the NVA or VC units operating further south. While large US and SVN army forces were deployed in Quang Tri Province at various times during the war, the Marines were there continuously from 1965 until US withdrawal - and carried the primary burden of fighting the NVA regulars. On 06 March 1968, while the siege at Khe Sanh was being fought only a few miles to the west, Mike Company, 3/3 Marines, was conducting a company-size recon patrol near Con Thien when they engaged part of the NVA's 362B Division. Fourteen men from Mike 3/3 were killed in the heavy fighting which followed: Sgt Glen T. Hobbs, Portsmouth, OH Sgt William T. Rogers, Montgomery, AL Cpl Ronald L. Ellis, Evansville, IN Cpl Richard J. Hall, Hays, NC Cpl Charles T. Lee, Oxon Hill, MD LCpl Laurence R. Ashmore, Houston, TX LCpl Freddie Brookins, Philadelphia, PA LCpl David W. Cutshall, Rapid City, SD (Silver Star) LCpl Michael J. Ferrara, Massapequa, NY LCpl Robert A. Leeman, Fullerton, CA LCpl Howard E. Randolph, Richmond, VA Pfc Ronald S. Dobbs, Detroit, MI Pfc Billy H. Henderson, Moultrie, GA Pfc Fred C. McHugh, Hadley, MI

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