KEN'S vIET nAM pHOTOS AND sTORIES
The battle for plei doch
I took this photo of Bobby Ray Tabron's name on the Viet Nam Wall. He was killed 7/29/1967 just 6 days after our Battle for Plei Ya Bo 7/23/1967. I still remember me and another boy carrying Bobby in a Poncho up to the summit of that mountain. He was a black kid from Spring Hope, N.C. He was a replacement and had been in-country for a short time. You know he wasn't heavy because he was one of my brothers. I can actually say that there wasn't a color barrier over there. Black..White...Red...Yellow....we were all the same color in our own eyes! His Blood flowed RED just like mine!
The Battle of Plei Doch
This major battle took place May 26, 1967.The battle lasted for about 4 hours. My Company, "B" Company, had just finished climbing a huge mountain on the Cambodian boarder. Our sister Company "C" was climbing up the same mountain behind us and was attempting to link up with us @ the top of the mountain. "C" company had been taking a break, sprawled on the ground before tackling the last part of the ridge, when the enemy opened up on them with everything. Captain Powers ("C" Company Commander) rose to see what was happening and he was killed instantly with a bullet between the eyes. The enemy made eight seperate charges sideways across the hill, and "C" Company kept driving them off and attacking uphill at still more North Vietnamese who were blocking their chance of linking up with us, "B" Company, on the crest. A "C" Company lieutenant, Clay Johnson, was killed leading the attack uphill that began to break the ememy resistence, and was being put in for the Distinguished Service Cross.. The first sergent had taken over, leading the rush that broke through to join up with us "B" Company, which was fighting its way downhill toward them. He had been wounded through both hands, and was also in for the Distinguished Service Cross. Ten of our brave Dragoons had been killed that day. Althouh Cpt. Powers had died with the first rounds, he had saved his company because, even resting beside a trail in sloping rain forest, he kept them spread out in a big diamond formation. When the unexpected attack came, they were ready, simply because of the way they had been placed, and were able to maneuver instead of being trapped in single file on the trail. After the battle was over I still remember moping up. I personally saw this Specialist 4th Class boy, whom had carried a 12 Gauge pump shotgun, lying dead with a huge pile of shotgun empty casings underneath him and a pile of dead North Vietnamese Regulars directly to his front. He had just killed all of them with his 00 Buck Shot Rounds. I have emailed everyone possible in an attempt to indentify his name. I have finally discovered his name, Richard Edward Wilkins, from Mountlake Terrace, Wa. I have also discoved his Cousin Paul Beals from Ester Alaska and his brother Dan Wilkins from Wa. Through emails I have also discovered that Richard had been presented with the Silver Star Posthumous for his action that day. I told Paul that I was glad that the Military gave him such a high Award. We lost a total of 11 Brave men in this battle including CPT Powers and 1LT Clay Johnson.
