Richard A Damschen, Jr

The database page for Richard A Damschen, Jr

23 Jul 2003 Photos courtesy of Jaime Damschen kittensandroses@webtv.net

REMEMBERED by his comrades in the 5th Infantry randy@bobcat.ws

Notes from The Virtual Wall Shortly before 7 AM on 21 August 21 1968 C Company 1/5 Inf 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 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 AM 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. Staff Sergeant Marvin R. Young received the Medal of Honor and SP4 Michael R. 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 . The men who died that day were SFC Mainor D Lang     Savannah GA SSG Marvin R Young (MoH)     Odessa TX Cpl James L Bowden     Louisburg NC Cpl Edward V Coffey     Richmond Hill NY Cpl Jose R Colon-Rivera     Cayey PR Sp4 Jerry W Combest     Wylie TX Cpl James L Harbottle     Flagstaff AZ Sp4 Michael R Mangan (DSC)     Costa Mesa CA PFC Richard A Damschen     Bremerton WA PFC Bruce E Bartlett     Fort Lauderdale FL PFC Gary L Dobbins     Akron OH PFC Edward J Dull     Taunton MA PFC David W Ledbetter     Piedmont AL PFC Hubert W Martin     Oakman AL PFC Jesus Rivera     New York NY PFC James E Rush     Preston MS PFC Delbert R Stogsdill     Detroit MI

The point-of-contact for this memorial is one who remembers, Jay Damschen kittensandroses@webtv.net  24 Jul 2003

Top of Page www.VirtualWall.org Back to To alpha index D WA State Index . Panel 47W 5TH INF RGT Index Webmaster@VirtualWall.org

With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Channing Prothro, former CAP Marine
Last updated 10/12/2003