08 Jul 2001 With John's passing we lost a great soldier and a true hero. It is with deep gratitude that we are remembering Major John Lawrence and all the others who served and died in times of war so that we may enjoy the Freedom and Liberties that make the United States of America great. From another USMA Alumni, Clark T. Ballard, Jr, M D, Col U S Army Ret n6qg1@yahoo.com

 

07 Jan 2006 This picture of Major John Lawrence was taken in 1967 during Operation Cedar falls. He was a highly capable officer and a good guy ... for a ring knocker. Jim Thompson E-mail address is not available.

 

19 Feb 2007 My name is Bill Lofgren (Chicago Il., presently Los Angeles) and I served with Captain Lawrence and Captain Wells on their advisory team during the early spring/summer of 1971. I had been with Advisory team 91 and had served with other MATS teams since June of 69. I was on Captain Lawrence's team when the NVA invaded Phnom Penh in Cambodia and surprised us after crossing the border to R&R in the Michelin Rubber Plantation. I was the radio operator (Sgt E-5) for the team during that period. I left country in August of 71 and was told of their deaths through a letter from Sgt. John Brown (Anna Il.) He also told me that the person that later replaced me was also killed. That must have been Sgt George Boulware. I was reassigned to Lam Son base camp before he arrived. Today is the first time I have seen their names since I received that letter back in October of 1971. A rush of memories has left me shaken but I remember Captain Lawrence and Captain Wells as men with a sense of humor and they both had earned my highest respect as officers. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family and friends as with Captain Wells and SFC Boulware. From a member of Advisory Team 91, Bill Lofgren Hermosa Beach, Ca wdljst@verizon.net

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall John W. Lawrence, USMA 1961, served two tours of duty in Vietnam. His first tour was as the S-5, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. During Operation Cedar Falls (January 1967) the Brigade S-2 (Intelligence) came up with a Viet Cong prisoner who claimed to know the location of a weapons cache. Lawrence led a small patrol to find the find the cache and discovered that it was in a tunnel complex. Since there were no tunnel rats (tunnel clearing personnel) available, Lawrence himself went into the complex where he discovered a substantial enemy weapons cache. For his action and conspicuous valor, he was awarded the Silver Star. On completion of his tour Lawrence was assigned as an instructor in the ROTC Program at the University of Florida, but returned to Vietnam in November 1970 as a member of MACV's Advisory Team 91 in Binh Duong Province. On 16 September 1971, the District S-1 was ambushed en route to a meeting at Province Headquarters. Major Lawrence assembled an ad hoc unit to relieve the ambushed group, but as the relief column moved to the aid of their beleaguered comrades they too were ambushed. Major Lawrence was in the lead and was severely wounded in the initial exchange but succeeded in repulsing the initial VC assault before being mortally wounded. His unit successfully broke out of their dire situation and joined other friendly forces. Major Lawrence received a posthumous Silver Star for his actions. Three men from Advisory Team 91 were killed in the two engagements about 3 kilometers southeast of Tri Tam, itself northwest of Saigon: MAJ John W. Lawrence, Farmington, NH (Silver Star); CPT James A. Wells, Niles, MI (Silver Star); and SFC George W. Boulware, Detroit, MI (Silver Star).

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