30 Apr 2004 ROTC and classmate at Virginia Tech in "R" Squadron. Virginia Tech has your name on the pylons. WE REMEMBER!!! From a Virginia Tech classmate, 1966/1967, John Whitney Layman P O Box 952 Fishersville, Va. 22939 vetrepva@excite.com

 

12 Jan 2005 My name is Dan Ward and I live in Johnson City, Tennessee. I graduated from East Tennessee State University in June, 1968, and I was commissioned a second lieutenant in the field artillery at my college graduation. My active duty service started on September 29, 1968 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I attended the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course Class 7-69. After graduating from the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course in January, 1969, I was assigned to B Battery 4th Battalion 14th Artillery at Fort Sill where I served as an artillery firing range safety officer and as a field artillery instructor. In June, 1969 I received orders for Viet Nam. I arrived at Cam Ranh Bay, Viet Nam on Thursday September 4, 1969 as a replacement field artillery officer. A few days later I received orders assigning me to the 5th Battalion 4th Artillery at Camp Red Devil in northern I Corp (Quang Tri Province) next to the DMZ. When I received my orders for the 5th Bn, 4th Artillery, three other replacement field artillery officers also received orders for the 5th Bn, 4th Artillery. We all flew up to northern Quang Tri Province, and we reported to the 5th Bn, 4th Artillery Battalion Commander at Camp Red Devil. The Battalion Commander assigned us in alphabetical order to the three firing batteries - i.e., the first officer was assigned to A Battery, which was located at Camp Red Devil; the second officer was assigned to B Battery which was located at Dong Ha, about 10 kilometers northwest of Camp Red Devil; and 2nd Lieutenant Gary Nelson and I (2nd Lieutenant Dan Ward) were assigned to C Battery which was at Fire Support Base C-2. The C Battery Commander, Captain Pittman, assigned 2nd Lt Nelson to be the Artillery Forward Observer (FO) with a tank company of the 1st Battalion 77th Armor, and I was assigned to be the C Battery Fire Direction Officer (AXO). Cpt Pittman told us that 2nd Lt Theodore Webb, the current FO with the 1/77 tank company would stay with the 1/77 Armor for several more days to train 2nd Lt Nelson, and that 2nd Lt Webb would accompany 2nd Lt Nelson when the 1/77 tank company went on their next operation along the DMZ. 2nd Lt Nelson immediately left FSB C-2 and went to FSB A-4 (Con Thien) where the 1/77 tank company was stationed. 2nd Lt Nelson met 2nd Lt Webb at FSB A-4. The next day the 1/77 tank company left FSB A-4 and went on a three day operation west of FSB C-2 and FSB A-4 along the DMZ. On Tuesday afternoon September 16, 1969, the third day of the operation, 2nd Lt Nelson radioed me from the 1/77 tank that he and 2nd Lt Webb were riding. 2nd Lt Nelson asked me if he could borrow my plastic Range Deflection Protractor (RDP) that I had brought to Viet Nam from Fort Sill. The RDP is used by Artillery Forward Observers in Fire Missions to determine the direction and range to a target. I told 2nd Lt Nelson that he could borrow my RDP. 2nd Lt Nelson told me that he and 2nd Lt Webb would have their tank stop at FSB C-2 to pick up the RDP from me prior to returning to FSB A-4. It was late afternoon when 2nd Lt Nelson and 2nd Lt Webb's tank arrived at FSB C-2. 2nd Lt Nelson introduced me to 2nd Lt Webb and I gave my RDP to 2nd Lt Nelson. It was supper time and I invited 2nd Lt Nelson and 2nd Lt Webb to eat supper with me. They accepted my invitation, and we quickly ate supper. Since it was almost dark, 2nd Lt. Nelson and 2nd Lt. Webb immediately left FSB C-2 and started toward FSB A-4. About 30 minutes after leaving FSB C-2, 2nd Lt. Nelson and 2nd Lt. Webb's tank reached FSB A-4. Later, just as 2nd Lt Nelson and 2nd Lt Webb's tank pulled into FSB A-4, the NVA started firing 122mm rockets into both FSB C-2 and FSB A-4. A few minutes after the rocket attack ended I received a message that 2nd Lt Webb had been killed at FSB A-4 during the rocket attack. Later 2nd Lt Nelson told me how 2nd Lt Webb had been killed. 2nd Lt Nelson stated that just as their tank stopped inside the wire at FSB A-4, 2nd Lt Webb jumped off the tank. At that same moment a NVA 122mm rocket exploded in front of their tank. The shrapnel from the 122mm rocket explosion struck and killed 2nd Lt Webb. 2nd Lt Nelson, who was getting ready to jump off the tank behind 2nd Lt Webb, was not wounded. I had been in Viet Nam less than two weeks when 2nd Lt Webb was killed. I will never forget how 2nd Lt Webb died. From a Field Artillery Officer assigned to C Btry, 5th Bn, 4th Arty, Dan M. Ward danward-tn@charter.net

 

28 May 2007 Tedd, Thank you for your supreme sacrifice. You were always the "Eager One". Your 'Ole Lady Cess Rat Class '64 Love ya' Phil Class of 1968 Va. Tech. From his Virginia Tech Roommate, Phillip Poole 3637 Watonga, Fort Worth, Texas phillip@townsiteco.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Two men were killed by the rocket attack on Fire Support Base A-4 (Con Thien, Hill 158) on 16 Sep 1969: 2LT Theodore W. Webb, Swoope, VA, Btry C, 5/4th Arty SSG Jerry L. Ogren, Stockton, CA, Co A, 1/77th Armor

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