FSB Illingworth and FSB Jay Memorial Service
On April 1, 2010, a memorial service was held at Ft. Sill, OK for our fallen heroes who lost their lives at FSB Jay and FSB Illingworth. Randall Richards from Chatsworth, Georgia; Windell Hutchinson from Killen, Alabama; and Mike Russell from Bossier City, Lousiana drove to Ft Sill to witness the event. On Thursday, April 1, 2010, at 2:00 the service was held at a small assembled park at Ft. Sill. I understand the plaque will be placed in a permanent location.
There were attendees at the afternoon ceremony who did not make it to the dinner. Unfortunately, I do not have a list of all the people who attended the ceremony. However, there is one man who attended the ceremony that I met for the second time. Ed Collins was gravely wounded on Illingworth and was laying on a stretcher in a group of doubtfuls. He was bandaged on most of his upper body. We loaded a chopper and started to the chopper with the badly wounded and wrapped soldier when the door gunner waved us back saying that they were full. We backed off with the soldier. I looked up and the door gunner waved for me to come to him. I went to him and he said the pilot wanted to talk to someone. I went up to the pilot and he had gotten another troop's attention. I stepped close and he told us to load the rest of the wounded because it would be some time before another chopper returned. He told us to pick up on the skids of the chopper and run with it after we loaded the last man and help him get airborne. I thought the man was crazy. Ed Collins read my article about My Memories of FSB Illingworth and got in touch with me. Ed said that he was that man who was waved back from the chopper. Though badly wounded, he knew what was happening. I told Ed about the ceremony and he attended the service with the help of his daughter. I saw Ed coming across the parking lot walking with difficulty, and he was looking straight at me. He walked up to me and asked if I was Randall and I said, "You must be Ed.". We hugged and I shed a few tears and I believe Ed did also. I periodically check on Ed and I have him on the prayer list at my church. Ed Collins is one of my heroes. Ed carries the pain of combat with him everywhere he goes. God Bless you Ed.
Listed here are the brave men who fought and died on FSB Illingworth.
- A Trp, 1st Sqdn, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (
- SGT Kenneth Ray Hodge,
- CPL John Lee Smith,
- SGT Kenneth Ray Hodge,
- A Btry, 2nd Bn, 32nd Artillery
- SP4 David H. Lassen,
- SP4 Terry L. Schell,
- SP4 David H. Lassen,
- HHB, 2nd Bn, 32nd Artillery
- SSG Lawrence E. Sutton,
- SSG Lawrence E. Sutton,
- B Btry, 1st Bn, 77th Artillery
- PFC Thomas R. Bowen,
- 1LT Cleaveland F. Bridgman,
- SSG Benjamin V. Childress,
- SGT Syriac Hebert,
- PFC Thomas R. Bowen,
- HHB, 1st Bn, 77th Artillery
- SP4 Thomas J. Murphy,
- SSG Steven J. Williams,
- SP4 Thomas J. Murphy,
- A Co, 2nd Bn, 8th Cavalry
- CPL Billy P. Carlisle, Pelahatchie, MS (Silver Star)
- CPL Billy P. Carlisle, Pelahatchie, MS (Silver Star)
- C Co, 2nd Bn, 8th Cavalry
- CPL Leroy J. Fasching,
- SGT Robert A. Hill,
- PFC Roger J. McInerny,
- CPL Michael R. Patterson,
- SGT Gerald W. Purdon,
- CPL Klaus D. Schlieben,
- CPL Leroy J. Fasching,
- E Co, 2nd Bn, 8th Cavalry
- CPL Bobby L. Barker,
- CPL Nathan J. Mann,
- SGT Brent A. Street,
- SGT Casey O. Waller,
- CPL Bobby L. Barker,
- HHC, 2nd Bn, 8th Cavalry
- SGT David G. Dragosavac,
- SGT Sidney E. Plattenburger, Charlotte, NC
- SGT David G. Dragosavac,
Following the ceremony a dinner was held at the Best Western. Following is a list of attendees at the dinner.
I would have to say that the trip to Ft Sill, OK was among the most memorable events of my life. It was a simple service. The wind was blowing hard (as I understand it always does in Oklahoma) making it hard for me to understand everything that was said. The color guard performed their duty flawlessly, the bugler played Taps perfectly, and there were words spoken that I cannot remember. The power of the ceremony was the presence of men who long ago, though badly outnumbered by the enemy, fought on a battlefield in Vietnam for a cause that was never appreciated by many Americans, but they fought there because they had answered the call to duty from their country. A country with flaws and faults and which has sometimes been led poorly, but has always been based on belief that the individual is important and the rights of the individual is worth dying for. Those are the men who stood together and saluted the flag we love and cried for our fallen brothers. Thank God for every man who served on Jay and Illingworth. They are my heroes and one day we will all sit down in heaven together and open up a case of C Rations and every box will have pound cake and peaches. God Bless the USA!
2/8, 1st Cav
Company C 2/8Denny and Connie McCarty, Sp4, C/2/8.I came into the Company on March 28th with the new replacements and was put in the 2nd Platoon, aks Scotch Platoon. After Illingsworth I moved over to the 3rd Platoon, aka Lonely Platoon.
Paul Evans and daughter Maxine, PFC, C/2/8.I was in the fire fight on 26 March assigned to 1st Platoon, aka Bounty Hunter Platoon. I was on Illingworth the 27 March, and then I went back to get my glasses fixed.Ken Woodward, Sp4, C/2/8.
I was one of the C/2/8 vets by the 1st of April . . . having been in the big fights and battles of 2/14; 3/1 to 3/8, and 3/26. I was WIA on 26 March but stayed with the company and returned to Illingworth. On the 30th I was sent to the rear for dental work, and returned to Charlie in Phouc Vinh.John Naylon, Sgt, C/2/8.
I was a Sergeant (E-5) and arrived on Illingworth as a replacement about the 30th of March. I was in the battle of FSB Illingworth as squad leader, 1st Platoon aka Bounty Hunter Platoon.Kirby Smith, 1st Lt, C/2/8.
I was wounded on 26 March in the Anonymous Battle, I was not on Illingworth on the 1st.Joe Hogg, Cpt.
I was a pilot of a Cobra Gun Ship that provided communications with supporting fire bases, and ARA support during the battle. My unit was A/2/20th ARA: We were generally called Ble Max when getting to the battle, and then as Max during the fight.Charles Beauchamp, SFC, C/2/8.
I was a SFC, and arrived with a group of new soldiers, and a few in-country transfers two days before the battle. I was the company Field 1st Sgt. I came form the 1st Div, and had a previous tour in 1966 with the 3rd Bde, 25th in Pleiku.George Hobson, Cpt, C/2/8.
I served as commander of Company C/2/8 on 1 April 1970. Charlie Company had responsibility for perimeter defense of FSB Illingworth.
Fasching Family (Cpl Leroy Fasching, C/2/8. KIA 1 April 1970, FSB Illingworth)Marlene and Tom Agnew (Leroy's sister)Dale and Linda Fasching (Leroy's older brother)Mike Fasching (Leroy's nephew and Dales's son)Damon Fasching (Leroy's nephew and Dales son)Clifford Rhodes, E-4, C/2/8.
As a senior E4 I was a M-60 Gun Team Leader for 3rd Platoon, aka Lonely Platoon, and was in the battle on FSB Illingworth.
Company E, 2/8
Mike Russell, 1st Lt, E/2/8.
Randall Richards, Sgt, E/2/8.I had been with the 4th ID before coming to E/2/8. When my division went back to the states, I was told to be sure not to get assigned to the 2/8 1st Cav Div. Well, just about 2 days before we were hit, my young butt ended up on Illingworth as the Platoon Leader of the Mortar Platoon, E/2/8. Every year on 1 April, I call the guys who were with me on Illingworth. We will never forget that night. Just about the first round that hit took out a blast wall at the entry to our mortar FDC. That's where Sgt Richards and I had placed our M16s when we went into FDC. We came out when the battle started, reached for our M16s, and they were not there nor was the blast wall.
I had been the section leader of the mortar platoon for about 6 months. We had six guns in the platoon. I stayed in the field with 3 guns and the other 3 guns stayed at the rear LZ. Every time we got hit I had guns 1, 2, and 3 in the field with me. Guns 1, 2, and 3 were on Illingworth from day 1 and the longer we were on Illingworth with 1, 2, and 3 with me, I knew it was going to hit the fan. We had guys in 4, 5, and 6 who never saw a round of in-coming during their entire tour of duty in Nam.Wendell Hutcheson, Sp-4, E/2/8.
Artillery PersonnelI was the mule driver for E Company. I hauled mortar ammo in from the LZ and hauled garbage out to the dump. Like Sgt. Richards, I was on Illingworth from day one. We moved in and built the base. We understood that it was to be another jump LZ. We had been building jump LZs and firing on targets for a few days and then moving on to another location. As the time on Illingworth extended and more artillery came and the 11th Armored Cav came, we became very uneasy about the situation. When the 8 inch ammo caught fire, it was rattling. I could hear the shells bumping together before the first explosion. I was very close to the explosion.
8 Inch Howitzer
Ralph Jones, Sp-4 Gunner, A/2/32 Arty
Ralph spoke at the ceremony
Jerry Granberg, 1st Lt., A/2/32 Arty
I was not at Illingworth during the battle. I was with the two guns at Tay Ninh and was pay officer. I flew to Illingworth on March 31 to pay that part of the battery and caught the last chopper out.I was the FDO (fire directionofficer).
Bill Van Eck, Sp-4, 2/32 Arty
Rich Andrews, Sp-4, 2/32 ArtyWas not on Illingworth. Bill was on the planning committee for the memorial service.
Of great importance to the ceremony that afternoon were the soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery who made the ceremony so very impressive. Below is a list of the soldiers who participated. We wholeheartedly thank these soldiers for their participation is this ceremony and for their brave service to our country.Was not on Illingworth. Bill was on the planning committee for the memorial service.
1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery
DS (SFC) Williams, Jonathan
DS (SSG) Camacho, Javier
DS (SSG)Snyder, Matthew
DS (SFC) Beasley, Chad
DS (SFC) Williams isthe NCOIC of the Color Guard.
I would have to say that the trip to Ft Sill, OK was among the most memorable events of my life. It was a simple service. The wind was blowing hard (as I understand it always does in Oklahoma) making it hard for me to understand everything that was said. The color guard performed their duty flawlessly, the bugler played Taps perfectly, and there were words spoken that I cannot remember. The power of the ceremony was the presence of men who long ago, though badly outnumbered by the enemy, fought on a battlefield in Vietnam for a cause that was never appreciated by many Americans, but they fought there because they had answered the call to duty from their country. A country with flaws and faults and which has sometimes been led poorly, but has always been based on belief that the individual is important and the rights of the individual is worth dying for. Those are the men who stood together and saluted the flag we love and cried for our fallen brothers. Thank God for every man who served on Jay and Illingworth. They are my heroes and one day we will all sit down in heaven together and open up a case of C Rations and every box will have pound cake and peaches. God Bless the USA!
there not a day goes by that i dont think of these brave men who lost their lives i hope there family found piece i was on the 155s at illingsworth its that time of the year april 1st 1bn 30th field artillery may god bless all their familys kenneth corbin
Reply to this
It honors my uncle to know that this is still remembered, thank you.
One thing I would like to say, I know its many many years later, but Robert H. Lane on your list also won the Silver Star in this battle. It was given to his mother by Captain Berry W. Rice, USAR advisor.
Reply to this