06 May 2008 Lt John P. Marken was killed in action on January 19, 1968. My name is John C Hancock. I was the tank commander of Charlie 23. We had two tanks ooperating out of the C-4 outpost, Charlie 23 and Charlie 25. S/Sgt Hill (Skinny Henry) was the Platoon Sergeant. We were supporting Charlie Company 1/3. Lt Marken had not been with us long, just a couple of weeks. He was the tank-infantry liason officer. On 01/19/1968 one of the Charlie Company platoons was ambushed by elements of the 803rd NVA Regiment at an area we called Little View just south of the DMZ. When we were mounting up for the reaction force, Lt Marken got on my tank and I took the loader's position. We had just arrived at the ambush site when Lt Marken slumped into the turret. I caught him and laid him on the deck. Sgt Hill told me to go back down the beach to an aid station. Lt Marken was dead when we lifted him from the tank. We left Lt Marken at the aid station and returned to help rescue the ambushed Marines. I hope this brief account of Lt Marken's last couple of hours will help. I am sorry it took so long to tell it. John C. Hancock E-mail address is not available.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall An engagement at Ha Loi, a beachfront hamlet about 5 kilometers north of the Cua Viet River, resulted the death of 4 Marines: C Co, 3rd Tank Bn 2ndLt John P. Marken, Escondido, CA C Co, 1st Bn, 3rd Marines LCpl Joseph W. Benedict, Jacksonville, FL LCpl William P. Burgoon, Columbus, OH LCpl Michael E. Morris, Lawton, OK

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