03 Jun 2002 Ron, A gentle word Like summer rain May soothe the heart And banish pain. Rest in peace. Semper Fi. A memorial initiated by a friend. E-mail address is not available.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall As comrade-in-arms remembers "Ron was in Headquarters Company, 11th Engineers, and the driver/body guard for the Battalion Sergeant Major. They hit a mine while en route between bases. Ron was killed by the explosion right away. The Sergeant Major lived to serve out his tour. We lost a lot of good men that way. Ron was the first Marine in our unit to be killed in action. We named our base camp at Dong Ha, Viet Nam, in honor of him: Camp Kissinger." The recollection is incorrect in one particular - LCpl Kissinger was injured on 26 January and died of his wounds aboard the hospital ship USS REPOSE on 04 Feb 67. The 11th Engineer's Command Chronologies for Jan and Feb 1967 contain the following entries: "26 January 1967: The left front wheel of a M38A1 Jeep detonated an explosive device of unknown origin in the vicinity of the hamlet of Thon Quat Xa, RVN, at coordinates YD 110593, while on a Civil Affairs mission. Vehicle completely demolished. Operator seriously injured and evacuated to USS REPOSE. Three other occupants of vehicle slightly injured." (Jan 67 CmdChron, page 5) "On 04 February the Battalion suffered its first combat fatality when a member died on the USS REPOSE from wounds sustained from the explosion of an activated explosive device that occurred on 26 January 1967." (Feb 67 CmdChron, page 3) Visit the 11th Engineers

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