CPL William Wilbur, Jr, Lake Ariel, PA on www.VirtualWall.org The Virtual Wall® Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

William was born in Jenkins Township the son of William Wilbur of Hackettstown NJ and Hazel A Wilbur of Moosic PA. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps on October 6, 1966 in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania and arrived for duty in Vietnam on June 15, 1967.

Information from Marine Command Chronicles of Company B, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division shows that during Operation MAMELUKE THRUST, on 30 May 1968, 1400 hours, 2 tanks were providing escort for a convoy which at grid AT 810545, along Route LTL-4, 9 Kilometers East of Thuong Duc when an NVA force sprung an ambush on the truck convoy transporting 155 mm artillery rounds on Route 4 half way between Hill 37 and their destination on Hill 55.

Vehicles came under heavy small arms and RPG rocket fire. One tank sustained 5 RPG hits, causing moderate damage to the vehicle. One USMC was wounded in action and medevaced from result of gun shot wounds. Both tanks fires in return with unknown results.

However, The security element assigned (Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines and Company C, 5th Special Forces Group) to protect the vehicles with their cargo prevented the convoy from being overrun. Company C fought until a reaction force from Company I 3rd Battalion arrived forcing the enemy to withdraw from their attack.

During the initial stages of the ambush, a counter-attack by SGT Joseph and his Army of Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) security forces, allowed the Marine security forces to establish a perimeter and prevent the NVA from overrunning the convoy. Three Marines died in the action and six were wounded. SGT Joseph was killed during his counter-attack. The four men who were killed were:

He was survived at the time by his parents Hazel A (1926-1972), and his father, William. CPL Wilbur is buried in Fairview Memorial Park, Moscow, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. His mother is buried in same plot area, XXIII Psalm.