MY VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL WALL FUND
MEMORIALS THAT I HAVE WRITTEN FOR THE
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL FUND
FOR ALL MY "REDCATCHER" FRIENDS WHO DID
NOT RETURN.
ROBERT A METTERT
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JAMES E BOUYER JAMES EARL BOUYER 28W, 101
JAMES EARL BOUYER
is honored on Panel 28W, Row 101 of
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
JAMES EARL BOUYER
Prattville, Alabama
Private First Class
(Service Number)67112358
D Co 4th BN 12th INF
199th Light Infantry Brigade
United States Army
11B10 Infantryman
11 January 1948 - 01 April 1969
My Yen, Gia Dinh Province South Vietnam
Panel 28W Line 101
PFC JAMES EARL BOUYER was one of the first people that I met when I joined D Company 4th Battalion 12th Infantry 199th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam. James was our Platoon RTO (Radio, Telephone, Opperator) so he humpped the PRC25 Infantry Radio. I remember following behind him walking up some narrow muddy winding jungle path. Also because I was the new guy he made me trade weapons. "Here I'am swapping you my M-79 Grenade Launcher for your M-16 Rifle." James replied. I'll be darned if I'll get caught in a firefight with some old single shot thing!" he replied. Well as time went by, we got caught in a Viet Cong mortar attack on our permiter that adjoined a canal. James just happened to be crossing that canal in a sanpan (bamboo boat)with my M-16 Rifle when an incoming Communist 82mm mortar round landed not far from Jame's sanpan, it detonated in the water and capsized the little boat. Leaving James unharmed,but having to swim for it. He made it to the shore alright but my M-16 Rifle went to the bottom of the canal.
A few days later the tide went out leaving that canal high and dry. My M-16 Rifle was laying right on the top of a big thick mud bank. The C.O. was not at all happy about the situation, and made James go back out there and fish that M-16 Rifle out of the mud. Well James started wading out there to go get it. he had barely reached out and grabbed the muzzle, when he started to sinking up to his waiste in mud and crying for Help! So we came to his rescue and pulled him out of the mud with a rope.
Shortly afterwards PFC JAMES EARL BOUYER was killed in a grenade accident that took him and Sgt. Richard Allen Thursby and William Arthur DeBates all from 3rd Squad (my Squad). James was a good hearted guy with a great sense of humor and his lose was felt through out our Company. May he now rest in peace in the golden light of Eternity from now and forevermore! Amen.
Your Comrade in arms,
SP/4 Gregory Payne
OREGON VETERANS HOME
700 Veterans Drive
The Dalles, OR 97058
teetee199thlib@excite.com Posted by: Gregory Payne
Email: teetee199thlib@excite.com
Relationship: We served together
Thursday, April 13, 2006
RICHARD A THURSBY RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY 28W, 106
RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY
is honored on Panel 28W, Row 106 of
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
| Full Name: | RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY |
| Wall Name: | RICHARD A THURSBY |
| Date of Birth: | 4/6/1946 |
| Date of Casualty: | 4/1/1969 |
| Home of Record: | BISBEE |
| State: | AZ |
| Branch of Service: | ARMY |
| Rank: | SSGT |
| Casualty Country: | SOUTH VIETNAM |
| Casualty Province: |
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 | RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY Bisbee, Arizona 06 April 1948 - 01 April 1969 SGT E-5,(Promoted to SSG E-6 after death) Service Number 56911405 11B40 Infantryman (SGT E-5 Squad Leader/SSG E-6 Platoon Sergeant D Co 4th BN 12th Inf 199th Light Infantry Brigade United States Army Service Time 1-2 years Age 23 Body Recovered My Yen, Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam None-Hostile, Died Of Other Causes Other Causes - Ground casuality Panel 28W Line 106 RICHARD ALLEN THURSBSY (SGT) was my squad leader in Vietnam, he lead, A - (Alpha) Fireteam, 3rd Squad, 1st Platoon, D Company 4th Battalion 12th Infantry 199th Light Infantry Brigade. In places like Binh Chanh, and My Yen of Gia Dinh province, Vietnam. RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY was a good Squad Leader, a very informable man. He taught us how you could see an incoming mortar round by hitting the ground on the first sound of the tubes going off, you then rolled over and looking up, and for a split second at the arching point of the round, you could see it just before it's descent back down. It would appear as a black dot in the sky, by then it could give you an idea of just where that mortar round was going to fall. He taught us how to walk in the mud that most people would never have drempt of seeing. "Don't get your legs straight together, 'cause it will form a vaccumn around them and you'll never get yourself out, it works almost like quick sand for then, the more you move the deeper your going to go." he'd reply. "Youv'e got to walk with your legs flexed at the knees, keeping your legs appart." he'd tell us. "Or the mud is gonna suck the boots right off your feet." he'd reply. He even showed us a special way of tying our boots to prevent this from happening. You had to wrap the boot lace twice around the top of the jungle boot, and tie what was left of the lace in a square knot to secure the boots from coming off in the mud. He was quick thinking in most cases in an emergecy type situation. One time he stepped flat footed on a trip wire to a booby trap on a rice paddie dyke. When he relized what he had done he froze and said. "Get off the trail, and get down! I'am on a trip wire, and I'am not going to stay here forever. I hope this can of M-60 machinegun ammo with the canvas strap will be heavy enough to hold it down or other wise I'am apt to go "BOOM!" he replied. His idea worked 'cause he lowered the can of 60 ammo off his shoulder by it's canvas strap and set it down on the exposed trip wire, and slowly lifted his foot straight up, and the weight of the can was just enough to hold the trip wire down. Until we could blow the booby trap in place by tying a ball of string on to the canvas strap of the can, unraveling the ball of string getting down behind the rice paddy dyke, and pulling the can off the dyke by the string and the booby trap went off. SGT. THURSBY also taught us how to walk into the wind of the Hewey Choppers without getting knocked down by the wind. He was a good Squad leader and a good man. This information is for the family and friends of SGT. RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY, I was an eye witness to RICHRARD'S death, PFC JAMES EARL BOUYER, and SP/4 WILLIAM ARTHUR DEBATES were the two other people that died, but not all together like the Army said they did. I found RICHARD'S watch the following morning on a clean up detail. His watch stopped at 8:45 P.M. 31 March 1969. SGT RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY, and PFC JAMES EARL BOUYER, died that night and SP/4 WILLIAM ARTHUR DEBATES died the following morning on the 1st of April 1969 around 10:00 A.M. They also were not in the bunker like the Army said they were all three of them were on the outside of the bunker. I've wanted to tell this now for years and have never had the chance to say it now I hope it's not to late. RICHARD ALLEN THURSBY was a good man and his loss will be felt deeply to all those who ever had the pleaure to know him. Now may he rest in Peace in the golden light of eternal Love. Your Commrade in Arms, SP/4 Gregory Payne D 4/12 199th L.I.B. e-mail address teetee199thlib@excite.com Gregory Payne Oregon Veterans Home 700 Veterans Drive The Dalles, OR 97058 teetee199thlib@excite.com |
Posted by: Gregory, Payne | |
WILLIAM A DEBATES
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WILLIAM ARTHUR DEBATES
is honored on Panel 28W, Row 102 of
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Full Name: WILLIAM ARTHUR DEBATES Wall Name: WILLIAM A DEBATES Date of Birth: 9/1/1948 Date of Casualty: 4/1/1969 Home of Record: PEORIA State: IL Branch of Service: ARMY Rank: SP4 Casualty Country: SOUTH VIETNAM Casualty Province:
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