J.B. was an engineer attached to a rifle platoon. He and another engineer, James Sullins, were on patrol with a squad of infantry from C/2/502d Abn. Inf. when he was killed in an ambush. He was hit very badly and did not live long or suffer. He died in the arms of a friend from the infantry squad. Earlier in the day the squad had found an unexploded American bomb in a small deserted village. J.B. and Sullins put C-4 plastic explosive around the base of it and we all ran away. We got about 200 yards away before it went off. It left a huge crater and J.B. and Sullins got down in it while I took their picture with J.B.'s instamatic camera. If that camera made it home I'd like to have a picture of them. One time on patrol he and I were walking next to one another on the trail and I said if he was from Texas, he must know the words to "Cool Water," and we sang it real quietly as we went along. He was very well thought of. He was game, and had volunteered to go on the patrol even though he didn't necessarily have to. I never saw him afraid of anything. The men who were killed were surrounded by their friends and they were mourned. They were far away from home but they were not alone when they died. Their buddies still remember them today. A salute for them across the years.

 

A memorial from his Friend, John Yeager Jr jyeager@weir.net  1 May 2001

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