James Alfred Reid

The database page for James Alfred Reid

14 May 2008 Al played varsity football and track at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland. He along with four others set a county record in 1966 for the 880 race. The record stood for several years. He joined the Marines with 10 other friends from RMHS in the "Buddy Program." On Mya 6, 1968 he died of injuries received on April 30th. From a friend. E-Mail will be forwarded by the Webmaster@VirtualWall.org

A Note from The Virtual Wall In late April 1968 it became apparent that the North Vietnamese Army was again moving across the DMZ into the area north of Dong Ha. On 29 April the ARVN 2nd Infantry Regiment sent its 1st and 4th Battalions in a pincer movement to locate and engage NVA units around An Binh. "Task Force Robbie", consisting of Delta 1/9 Marines reinforced with tanks from Alpha 3rd Tanks, was sent to relieve building pressure on the ARVN's southern flank. "Robbie" ran into trouble at Cam Vu, about 5 kilometers west of An Binh, where a North Vietnamese blocking force was waiting for them. After taking 10 dead and 22 wounded in a six hour fight against a clearly superior force, "Robbie" broke off the contact and withdrew. The ARVN forces had absorbed 17 dead and 47 wounded, could not link up, and also withdrew. At this point the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, was brought into the fight, advancing toward Cam Vu. India 3/9 was the first to make contact, encountering an "L"-shaped ambush just north of Cam Vu. As 3/9's other three companies deployed in support of India, the NVA broke contact and withdrew under cover of artillery fire from within and north of the DMZ. The fighting around Cam Vu was paralleled by the engagement of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, with elements of the 325th NVA Division at Dai Do some 5 miles to northeast of Cam Vu. These engagements - the 2nd ARVN Infantry, 1/9, and 3/9 at Cam Vu and 2/4 at Dai Do - were the opening engagements in what became known as the Battle of Dong Ha. While the Cam Vu fights cost the North Vietnamese at least 197 dead, Allied losses also were high: 1st Bn, 9th Marines - 11 dead 3rd Bn, 9th Marines - 42 dead 1st and 4th Bns, 2nd ARVN Infantry - 17 dead Pfc James Reid was with "Task Force Robbie", was wounded at Cam Vu, and died five weeks later. The 11 men from Delta 1/9 who died as a result of the engagement were: Sgt Roy L. Gibson, Dallas, TX (Bronze Star "V") Sgt Elmer J. Perry, Odessa, TX (Bronze Star "V") Cpl Raymond E. Stanley, Manchester, NH HM3 Robert A. Vinton, Shaker Heights, OH (H&S Co with D/1/9) LCpl Patrick L. Bruckner, Reseda, CA LCpl Russell W. Noyes, Woburn, MA Pfc John F. Hutzell, Williamsport, MD Pfc Eduardo Marquez, El Paso, TX Pfc Lawrence J. McRae, Wilkes-Barre, PA Pfc Adam S. Najar, Palm Springs, CA Pfc James A. Reid, Derwood, MD (WIA 04/30, DoW 06/06/1968)

The point-of-contact for this memorial is a friend. E-Mail may be forwarded via the Webmaster@VirtualWall.org

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 14 May 2008
Last updated 05/16/2008