18 May 2007 Jim Hunt was one of the most normal guys I met, and I met him in the Marine Corps. A volunteer but not particularly eager to go by the time it was time to go, he was hit while in combat, and died in the Naval Hospital (maybe in San Francisco) when a piece of shrapnel worked its way into his heart, or so the story goes. He was a good man, and a hero in his own way in that he did not bow to any pressure but always remained Jim Hunt, his own man. I loved him for that, and I miss him for his great sense of humor and smile. I want him to be remembered. We served together in Hawaii, as MP's, and had some adventures on late night patrols fighting boredom with live .45 ammunition. Rabbits were involved, if I remember correctly. There were other adventures that should remain unspoken ... but he was always fun, ready to be your friend. What more could a person ask in a companion? From a friend and fellow Marine. gdhowe58@gmail.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Operation PEGASUS's primary goal was to break the seige of the Khe Sanh Combat Base, with the secondary intention of inflicting as much harm on the North Vietnamese Army as possible. On 04 April 1968 the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines moved out of the Khe Sanh Combat Base and captured Hills 471, 552, and 689, the latter about 5 kilometers west of the Combat Base. During a sweep on the southern slope of Hill 680 on 16 April Alpha 1/9 encountered an NVA company occupying dug in positions. Alpha 1/9 moved against the enemy, but took heavy fire with mounting casualties. Charlie and Delta Companies were sent to assist, and it appeared the NVA also were reinforcing their positions. During the ensuing bloody fight, the Marines were forced to pull back, leaving most of their dead behind. The initial US casualty count was 24 known dead (20 not recovered), 46 evacuated wounded, and 23 men missing in action. Over the next several days two wounded Marines were sighted and picked up by helicopter while at least one other made his own way back to friendly lines. On 21 April 1/9 was pulled out and the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines inserted in their place. On 22 April the 2/3 Marines pushed into the area where 1/9 had been mauled and recovered the bodies of 38 Marines and sailors. The final count, including one wounded Marine who died on 17 April, was 41 dead. Alpha Company lost 12 men: 1stLt Michael P. Hayden, Detroit, MI Sgt Leslie P. Hagara, Saltsburg, PA Sgt Robert Rice, Flushing, NY Cpl Robert H. Littlefield, Birmingham, AL LCpl Daniel K. Christian, Wadsworth, OH LCpl William C. Medeiros, New Bedford, MA LCpl Terry J. Rampulla, Easton, PA Pfc Bruce K. Craig, Escanaba, MI Pfc David Haberman, Cleveland, OH Pfc Herve J. Moise, Los Angeles, CA Pfc Robert J. Wells, Schenectady, NY Pfc William W. Wymer, Ravenna, OH Almost six months later, on 01 October 1968, Corporal James A. Hunt, Alpha 1/9, died of his injuries - the last known American casualty of the 16 April fight on Hill 689.

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