28 Nov 2007 Karl and I served together from 1964 to 1966, when he went to Vietnam. We served together in Cuba in 1965 and our home base was Camp Lejeune. We were together for about a year there, and I lived off base with him and his wife Zola-Lynn for a time. I could spend the week-ends with them. We made Corporal around the same time too. His wife sent me a picture of his daughter Kim, I know he never got to see her. I got out of the Marines in 1968 as a Sergeant. I do have some pictures of him and his wife and also some of me and her, those were taken at Christmas of 1965, I think. From a friend, Leonard R Spiewak Sergeant, USMC (Retired) cobberlen@verizon.net

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall During September 1966 the 3/4 Marines were engaged in Operation PRAIRIE, aimed at reducing the North Vietnamese Army's presence and infrastructure south of the Demilitarized Zone. 3/4's specific tasks involved operations in the Cam Lo River Valley and the ridgeline which formed the northeastern side of the valley. The Marines' work was made difficult by both terrain and enemy - steep, jungled hill masses, lots of NVA soldiers, and enemy artillery firing from within and north of the DMZ. Op PRAIRIE continued into October, and did result in the NVA temporarily withdrawing from the ridgeline area. The 3/4's radio call sign was "Mutter", and after the ridgeline was cleared it was given the name "Mutter's Ridge" in honor of the 3rd Bn, 4th Marines. The 3/4 Marines' Command Chronology contains the following entry for 25 September: This brief entry doesn't acknowledge the loss of two Lima 3/4 Marines in the fight: Corporal Karl A. Schmidt of Orlando, Florida, and Lance Corporal Richard G. Burgess of Aloha, Washington. Corporal Schmidt's body was recovered, but there was no sign of LCpl Burgess, and on 03 October he was formally declared Missing in Action. On 05 March 1973, after 6-1/2 years as a prisoner of war, Corporal Burgess was repatriated.

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