15 Aug 2002 REMEMBERED ACROSS THE YEARS by a fellow veteran. E-mail address is not available.

 

01 Feb 2003 Peter and I served together - he was my friend. We were in the same company and I was in the same battle. Every Memorial Day, Veterans' Day, and Marine Corps Birthday I think of Peter. He was lost, but he is not forgotten! SEMPER FI, old friend, until we meet again. By the way, for any who read this, Peter died bravely on the field of battle! Michael E Golden 29 May 2006 I think of you often, but not so much as today!!! From a friend, Michael E Golden 2934 Burlington Ave, St Petersburg, FL 33713 mgold2@tampabay.rr.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Operation UTAH involved the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines; the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines; and elements of the ARVN Airborne Battalion. These units were tasked with locating, fixing, and destroying two reinforced battalions of the 36th NVA Regiment dug in around the Chau Ngai village complex about 6 miles northwest of Quang Ngai City in Quang Ngai Province. D-Day for Op Utah was 04 March 1966. On that date the ARVN Airborne Battalion elements led the way into several landing zones near Chau Ngai, followed by the 2/7 Marines. The Marines almost immediately found themselves engaging entrenched NVA troops in what rapidly became a bitter close-quarter fight. The last significant fighting was at 2145; by the next morning the enemy had withdrawn from the area, leaving over 140 NVA/VC bodies on the battlefield. That was usual; the NVA/VC were normally meticulous in taking their dead with them whenever possible. The 2/7 Command Chronology states the 2/7 Marines lost 43 men killed in action and 84 wounded in action on 04 March 1966. Corporal Lester A. Wesighan, a combat photographer from HQ 3rd MarDiv, was killed in action during the 2/7 fight at Chau Ngai, making the total US loss 44 men. Seventeen of those men were from Hotel 2/7: Cpl Henry J. Hooper, Reidsville, NC LCpl Raymond Blanchette, Tolland, CT LCpl Rupert S. Carven, Newton, MA LCpl John J. Edwards, Lock Haven, NY LCpl Andrew L. Hastings, Lemay, MO LCpl Klaus J. Herms, San Dimas, CA LCpl William J. Hrinko, Worthington, OH LCpl Peter G. Scavuzzo, Toms River, NJ LCpl Robert L. Smith, Newport News, VA Pfc Richard G. Allen, Long Beach, CA Pfc William Johnson, Dallas, TX Pfc Lewis A. Kimmel, Camarillo, CA Pfc Franz J. Kolbeck, Deerfield, IL Pfc Vinford F. Michael, New York, NY Pfc Henry D. Odom, Eldorado, OK HA Samuel G. Orlando, Birmingham, MI (Navy Cross) Pfc Charles R. Wetzel, Penns Grove, NJ On 05 March the withdrawing NVA forces encountered the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, which had established blocking positions astride the NVA's probable withdrawal routes. That too became an exceedingly bitter fight, with 42 Marines and sailors from 3/1 killed in action.

Contact Us

© Copyright 1997-2019 www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd ®(TM)

Last update 08/15/2019.