29 Oct 2006 I was the Company radio operator when Bill's patrol called in in a panic that they were being ambushed. I was a member of the group that went out to assist them. They had been medevaced out by the time we got there. Everyone had been hit. There were three men killed - Bill, Duane Smith and William Gallagher. You are not forgotten!! From a fellow Marine from C/1/9, Dick Stanley dickiedoo@yahoo.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The 1/9 Marines Operations Log's summary for 13 October 1965 contains two entries regarding Charlie 1/9: "At 131100H (11 am) a patrol dispatched by Company 'C' received sniper fire in the vicinity of (BT055638). The patrol returned fire with small arms and the sniper fire ceased. One Marine was wounded in the left shoulder, the projectile continuing through his body laterally. The Marine was dead on arrival at C&C." "At 131630H (4:30 pm) a patrol from Company 'C' engaged three (possibly four) VC armed with machine guns and rifles in the vicinity of (BT043649). The patrol engaged the enemy for approximately thirty minutes. Helicopters approaching to effect MedEvac received small arms fire from the enemy positions. The patrol immediately reinforced by four infantry squads, two tanks, and two ONTOS. Upon arrival of the reinforcements the enemy broke contact. This engagement resulted in two Marine KIAs and two Marine WIAs. All casualties were evacuated." The Virtual Wall cannot determine who was killed in the first engagement and who in the second - but the three men, as noted above, were Pfc William J. Gallagher, Covington, KY; Pfc Duane C. Smith, Windsor, CO; and Pfc William G. Wheatley, San Francisco, CA.

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