James Robert Shipman

Private First Class
F CO, 2ND BN, 7TH MARINES, 1ST MARDIV
United States Marine Corps
23 September 1950 - 26 August 1969
Syracuse, New York
Panel 19W Line 123

1ST MARDIV

7TH MARINES
Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for James Robert Shipman

02 Apr 2006

Jimmy was a unique person.

We hung out together as kids and got into a few scraps, but we were tight - a unit of one. We weren't from rich families, but we were close to them. Jimmy was a true friend, a "brother", one of those people who will live forever in my memory, as Vietnam will.

I remember we had a pact to go to in the Marine Corps, four of us - Jimmy, John Rowe, my brother Chuck, and me, Gary Blakeman. I was in Vietnam as a rifleman with Echo, 2/1 Marines in 1969-70.

When I think of Jim, I remember Spam, toast with butter and sugar, Lisa, and his Mom, sister Nancy, brother Richard, and the housing. He was truly a friend. GOD Bless You, Brother, "We'll allways walk together".

Gary E. Blakeman
gblakem1@twcny.rr.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

In the middle of August 1969 the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines moved from Danang to Hiep Duc Valley (known as "Happy Valley") in Que Son District, Quang Nam Province, to join in the search for a North Vietnamese regimental headquarters. The NVA were there, occupying the mountains bordering the valley, and made their presence known by mortaring the 2/7 command post at FSB ROSS on a daily basis between 20 and 24 August. During the period 21-25 Aug the Marines conducted sweeps of the valley and the hillsides with sporadic contacts, but on the 26th they came across an estimated two regiments of NVA troops, well dug in and prepared to fight.

The three 2/7 companies involved in the fighting lost eight men before nightfall. As additional Marines and soldiers from the Army's 196th Infantry Brigade converged on the area of contact the NVA slowly withdrew further into the mountains, ending another inconclusive fight. The eight dead were





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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 08/10/2009