Jan. 31, 1963 - A U.S. Army captain was killed today during a running gun fight between Communist guerrillas and South Vietnamese soldiers in the jungle north of Saigon.


Jan. 31, 1963 - A U.S. Army captain was killed today during a running gun fight between Communist guerrillas and South Vietnamese soldiers in the jungle north of Saigon.

 The Defense Department identified the dead officer as Capt. Leon J. Kramer (pictured), whose mother, Mrs. Helen Kramer, lives in Trenton, N.J. His death brought to 64 the total of Americans killed in action or by other causes in South Vietnam since the U.S. became involved in the anti-guerrilla war. 

The captain was serving as infantry adviser to a Vietnamese Army unit pursuing two Viet Cong companies in the north central highlands of Quang Ngai province, 360 miles north of Saigon. The troops closed in on the Communists this morning. 

In the fighting that ensued, the captain was hit in the chest by a Communist bullet. U.S. sources said the Vietnamese troops continued to pour rifle fire into the Red positions until the Viet Cong broke off the action and fled into the jungle.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

He Was Only 17 When He Chose to Save Others

Image
  In 2023, the United States Navy commissioned USS Jack H. Lucas , an Arleigh Burke–class destroyer. The ship carries the name of a Marine whose courage came before fear—a boy who became a legend before he became an adult. Jacklyn “Jack” Lucas was only 17 years old when he landed on Iwo Jima in February 1945 . He was not supposed to be there. He was underage. But war had already changed the rules of his life. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lucas became consumed with one thought: he had to fight . He forged his mother’s signature, lied about his age, and joined the U.S. Marine Corps at just 14 years old . He was young, stubborn, and determined. When assigned a rear job, he refused to accept it. Combat was where he believed he belonged. So he did the unthinkable he stowed away on a ship headed for war . Two days after landing on Iwo Jima, reality arrived without warning. Lucas and his fire team were suddenly ambushed by enemy soldiers. His rifle jammed. There was no tim...
Read more

Sgt. Monica Lin Brown: An 18-Year-Old Medic Who Redefined Courage in Afghanistan

Image
  At just 18 years old, Sgt. Monica Lin Brown ran toward gunfire so others could live. In April 2007, while serving as a U.S. Army combat medic with the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division , Monica Lin Brown was deployed to Afghanistan. During a patrol in the Jani Khel District , her unit was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED), followed by intense enemy small-arms fire and mortar attacks. As soldiers fell wounded around her, Brown did what few could she repeatedly sprinted through active enemy fire and exploding mortars to reach the injured. Ignoring her own safety, she administered emergency medical care while shielding wounded soldiers with her own body , preventing further casualties and saving multiple lives. Her actions reflected not only exceptional bravery, but also the highest standards of military service, discipline, and selflessness. A Historic Silver Star Recipient For her extraordinary heroism in combat, Sgt. Monica Lin Brown was a...
Read more

Today we Remember a woman who became symbol of the silent courage Sharon Lane

Image
She Didn’t Carry a Rifle. She Carried Bandages. And She Died Doing It. Today we remember First Lieutenant Sharon Ann Lane , a woman who became a symbol of silent courage . Amid the violence of the Vietnam War, Sharon stood where pain was greatest. Not with a weapon. But with healing hands. She was a U.S. Army nurse who worked endless hours under constant threat, caring for the wounded when hope was fading. Her calm voice, steady presence, and compassion brought comfort in places filled with fear. Sharon knew the risks when she volunteered to serve. She treated both American and South Vietnamese patients, earning deep respect from everyone around her. Then, in a single moment, everything changed. During a rocket attack on the hospital compound, one blast struck her ward. Sharon Lane was killed instantly while caring for the wounded. She was only 25 years old . She remains the only American military nurse in Vietnam killed directly by enemy fire . Her mission was never to...
Read more

Desmond Doss: The Man Who Refused to Carry a Gun but Saved 75 Lives in Hell

Image
  Desmond Doss: The Man Who Refused to Carry a Gun but Saved 75 Lives in Hell He went to war without a weapon. He faced bullets with bare hands. And on a battlefield soaked in blood, one man chose faith over fear. This is the true story of Desmond Thomas Doss , a quiet young man who refused to kill—even when killing seemed like the only way to survive. A Promise Made in Childhood Desmond Doss was born on February 7, 1919 , in Lynchburg, Virginia. He grew up in a poor but deeply religious home. His mother taught him the Bible, and one commandment stayed rooted in his heart: “Thou shalt not kill.” As a young boy, Desmond once saw his father nearly kill a man during a violent argument. That moment shook him deeply. Later, after seeing a picture of Cain killing Abel , Desmond made a silent promise to God: He would never take another human life. That promise would one day be tested in the deadliest war the world had ever seen. Choosing War Without Violence When World War II ...
Read more

She Hid Her Baby Sister Under Her Coat and Changed Their Lives Forever

Image
  In July 1902, a 16-year-old girl named Mary boarded an Orphan Train heading west. Hidden under her coat was a secret that could get her sent away a three-month-old baby. The baby was her little sister. At the orphanage, the rules were strict. Teenagers and babies were never placed together. Families usually wanted only one child. Mary was told to go alone and let her baby sister be sent to another home. Mary could not accept that. Before the train left, she quietly took her sister from the nursery, wrapped her close, and hid her under her coat. Her heart beat fast as she climbed onto the train. If anyone found out, she would lose everything. For hours, Mary sat still, holding her sister tightly. The baby did not cry. Other children noticed, but no one spoke. They understood her fear. When the train stopped, families were waiting to choose children. Mary stepped down, nervous and sweating in the summer heat. A couple approached her, asking questions. They noticed her heavy co...
Read more

Salzburg, Austria - June 2, 1945, Audie Murphy

Image
Salzburg, Austria - June 2, 1945, Audie Murphy Audie Murphy of B Company, 15th Regiment, Third Division.  At Salzburg, Austria on 2 June 1945, Lieutenant General A.M. Patch, Commander of the 7th Army presented Murphy with the Medal of Honor and Legion of Merit for his actions at Holtzwihr. When asked after the war why he had seized the machine gun and taken on an entire company of German infantry, he replied, “They were killing my friends.” Murphy was born on June 20, 1925, in Kingston, Texas as the seventh of 12 children. Murphy’s mother died just before his 16th birthday in 1941. He tried to enlist in both the Army and Marines but was rejected for being both underage and underweight. His older sister helped forge his birth certificate and signed an affidavit where he was finally accepted into the Army on June 30, 1942. He was just 16 years old. In late February 1943 he was shipped out to Casablanca, Morocco as part of B Company, 1st Bn. 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry ...
Read more

The iconic Iwo Jima Flag Raising occurred on this day in 1945.

Image
The iconic Iwo Jima Flag Raising occurred on this day in 1945.  Of the men in the photograph Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon Block, and Private First Class Franklin Sousley were all killed in action. The other three Marines in the photograph were Corporals (then Privates First Class) Ira Hayes, Harold Schultz, and Harold Keller. These men all served as members of the 5th Marine Division. This flag raising was the second that occurred atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima towards the end of the Pacific War. This image quickly became the symbol of the resilience of the US Marines during WWII. The photo was taken by Joe Rosenthal.
Read more

Man crushed to death by bulldozer at Mahdia.

Image
Man crushed to death by bulldozer at Mahdia. A machine operator was on Tuesday afternoon crushed to death by a bulldozer after it encountered mechanical problems at 111 Miles Mahdia, Pataro River, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). Dead is Kennard Craig, 55, of Number 67 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. Reports are the man was operating the heavy-duty machinery and in the process of climbing a hill, the equipment encountered problems and suddenly cut off. Nevertheless, he managed to restart the machine with the help of a colleague. It was after the machine restarted, it rolled backwards and trapped Craig. From reports received, the man’s head was completely crushed by the machine. He was taken to the Mahdia Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. F Division (Interior locations) Commander, Rabindranauth Budhram confirmed that the accident occurred, while noting that an investigation was launched.
Read more

Dear Brandon and WalkAway Friends: Hope you don’t mind that I’m checking back in

Image
Dear Brandon and WalkAway Friends: Hope you don’t mind that I’m checking back in. I grew up in a Republican household with working class parents who’d spent their childhood living through the Great Depression, their teenage years living through the Second World War, then they started fighting the Cold War in their mid-20s. I’m a Boomer, I’m old, and, wow, I was so lucky. My parents had watched their older brothers and cousins volunteer or get drafted to fight in WWII and they weren’t going to let those sacrifices be forgotten by the next generation. My parents had no problem talking about democracy at the dinner table.  They were both working hard, but they were so grateful to be Americans, such fervent believers in free markets, free speech, freedom of religion. NO exceptions of American rights for people who didn’t look/speak/worship like us, because we were all Americans.  My parents were practicing Christians who strived to live virtuous lives. Their three children were gi...
Read more

Swipe ⬅️ John Meintz, an American farmer tarred and feathered by a mob for his German heritage and allegedly not supporting war bond drives, 1918

Image
Swipe ⬅️ John Meintz, an American farmer tarred and feathered by a mob for his German heritage and allegedly not supporting war bond drives, 1918 🪶 Tarring and feathering is a form of public torture and punishment used to enforce unofficial justice or revenge. It was used in feudal #Europe and its colonies in the early modern period, as well as the early American frontier, mostly as a type of mob vengeance. The victim would be stripped naked, or stripped to the waist. Hot wood tar was then either poured or painted onto the person while they were immobilized. The victim then either had feathers thrown on them or was rolled around on a pile of feathers so that they stuck to the tar. The image of a tarred-and-feathered outlaw remains a metaphor for severe public criticism.
Read more