01 Aug 2005 Dear Clark, I tried to find your memorial but came up with a blank. It seems they forgot to give you one. You were my friend at Infantry AIT at Fort Polk, the "arm pit of the nation" as we called it. I just wanted you to know that a plaque has been placed on Mary Ann by General Baldwin's son to remember you guys who didn't make it. I know that ain't much, old friend. I wish you and the rest of the guys could have lived your lives too. I went on to Recon and made Squad Leader and did all right. I know God is giving you special things to do. Larry M. Pistole Squad Leader, Recon, 1/46th, 196th L.I.B.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On the night of 27/28 March 1971 Fire Support Base (FSB) Mary Ann was occupied by 209 Americans from several units of the Americal Division: HHC 1/46th Infantry; C Co 1/46th Infantry; a Recon Platoon; elements of a Mortar Platoon; two 155mm howitzer sections, 3/16th Arty; and twenty ARVN artillerymen. At approximately 0230 hours, 28 March 1971, the VC mounted a coordinated mortar and sapper attack. Almost simultaneously with the mortar attack, sappers employed satchel charges and rocket propelled grenades (RPG) to penetrate the FSB's perimeter. Americans in the perimeter bunkers hunkered down until the explosions from the mortar rounds, satchel charges, and RPGs had subsided, but by then the sappers had breached the trench line and were inside the base. Once inside FSB Mary Ann, the sappers struck over half the bunkers. By the time the VC withdrew, 30 American soldiers were dead and 76 wounded. According to the Department of Defense's casualty database 12 of the 30 dead were killed by friendly fires; the Army's TAGCEN file amplifies that by attributing the deaths to artillery fire.

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