Roger Dale Whirlow

Specialist Four
C BTRY, 3RD BN, 16TH ARTILLERY, 196 INF BDE
Army of the United States
22 November 1950 - 28 March 1971
Odessa, Texas
Panel 04W Line 090

196 INF BDE 16TH ARTY RGT
Artillery

Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation (2 awards), Good Conduct, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign
Roger D Whirlow

The database page for Roger Dale Whirlow

26 Feb 2004

I didn't know Roger, but I had the honor of meeting and being associated with his wife Nola when she was a teacher at Hood Junior High School in Odessa. She taught special education. She is a special person. Roger is one of too many from Odessa, Texas, who perished in Vietnam. Roger is buried at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery not too far from others who perished in Vietnam. For his memory, may his sacrifice never be forgotten.

Billy M. Brown
bmbrown@grandecom.net

A Note from The Virtual Wall

On the night of 27/28 March 1971 Fire Support Base (FSB) Mary Ann was occupied by 209 Americans from several units of the Americal Division:
  • HHC 1/46th Infantry;
  • C Co 1/46th Infantry;
  • a Recon Platoon;
  • elements of a Mortar Platoon;
  • two 155mm howitzer sections, 3/16th Arty; and
  • twenty ARVN artillerymen.
At approximately 0230 hours, 28 March 1971, the VC mounted a coordinated mortar and sapper attack. Almost simultaneously with the mortar attack, sappers employed satchel charges and rocket propelled grenades (RPG) to penetrate the FSB's perimeter. Americans in the perimeter bunkers hunkered down until the explosions from the mortar rounds, satchel charges, and RPGs had subsided, but by then the sappers had breached the trench line and were inside the base. Once inside FSB Mary Ann, the sappers struck over half the bunkers. By the time the VC withdrew, 30 American soldiers were dead and 76 wounded.

Five of the dead were from C Battery, 3/16th Artillery:

  • SGT Clifford W. Corr, Viola, KS
  • SP4 Larry D. Austin, Des Moines, IA
  • CPL Donald C. Bennett, New Lexington, OH
  • CPL William W. Kirkpatrick, Torrance, CA
  • SP4 Roger D. Whirlow, Odessa, TX


The point-of-contact for this memorial is
a hometown representative,
Billy M. Brown
bmbrown@grandecom.net



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 26 Feb 2004
Last updated 02/04/2011