CPL James Lee Bowden, Louisburg, NC on www.VirtualWall.org The Virtual Wall® Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

Shortly before 7 AM on 21 August 21 1968 C Company 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry departed Dau Tieng for a reconnaissance in force operation through the Ben Cui Rubber Plantation. C Company was to operate approximately 1 kilometer south of Highway 239, while the 1/5 Recon Platoon, the 3rd Brigade Combined Reconaisance & Intelligence (CRIP) Platoon, and one twin 40mm "Duster" were to sweep the highway itself, paralleling C Company's movement through the rubber plantation.

Just after 11 a.m., C Company began receiving sniper fire, followed by increasingly heavy automatic weapons and RPG fire. At 1140 the Recon Platoon sighted hundreds of enemy soldiers moving south to engage C Company. The Recon force engaged the enemy with .50 caliber machine guns and the Duster's 40mm cannons but were unable to break up the attack against C Company.

In the heavy fighting which ensued, C Company suffered 17 men killed in action and 21 wounded in action. Two artillerymen from 7th Battalion, 11th Artillery, supporting C Company were also killed, bringing the total killed to 19. SSG Marvin Rex Young received the Medal of Honor and SP4 Michael Robert Mangan the Distinguished Service Cross for their efforts in support of their comrades. Additional information regarding the fighting, which continued on 22 and 23 August, is available on the 5th Infantry site.

Corporal Bowden was declared missing in action on August 21, 1968 and his status was changed from MIA to Dead on 27 August 1968. He is buried in Westminster Evangelistic Church Cemetery II (Also known as Cedar Street Cemetery which is cemetery named listed for his mother who is also buried there under the name of Evelyn Jean Bowden Brodie (May 14, 1928-Feb. 13, 2001). HIs grandparents, Beulah Allen Bowden and Percy Bowden are also buried in Cedar Street Cemetery.

The application for a government grave marker, signed by his mother, shows CPL Bowden was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart but it is apparant that the family decided not to go with a government marker that would have placed the medals information on the marker.