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PFC Charles Herman Bennett

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PFC Charles Herman Bennett Veteran

Birth
Cross Creek, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA
Death
3 Mar 1967 (aged 22)
Tây Ninh, Tây Ninh, Vietnam
Burial
Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA Add to Map
Plot
Block AB, Space 110
Memorial ID
View Source
PFC Charles Herman Bennett, Vietnam Veteran, Native of Fayettville, North Carolina.

Private First Class Charles Herman Bennett served as a member of the Army, PFC Bennett served our country until March 3rd, 1967 in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam. He was 22 years old and was not married. It was reported that Charles died from an undetermined explosion. His body was recovered. PFC Bennett is on panel 16E, line 007 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for 2 years.

He was the son of Mr and Mrs Jethro H Bennett, 844 East Orange Street, Fayetteville, NC.

He served with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, "The Rock", 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division(Air Mobile), USARV.

He was awarded The Combat Infantryman's Badge(CIB), The Bronze Star Medal, The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal and The Good Conduct Medal.
==========
During Operation Junction City I, airborne troops of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173d Airborne Brigade sought the Viet Cong's (VC) elusive "headquarters" of the Communist uprising in South Vietnam. Searching in thick bamboo forest and jungle adjacent to the Cambodian border in western Tay Ninh Province, the highly mobile VC were not easy to find, and encounters with them could be sudden and deadly. Early on the morning of March 3, 1967, Third Platoon, C Company, 2-503rd set out on an all-day search and destroy mission from their company's night defensive position (NDP). While revisiting an area where contact with the enemy was made the day before, the platoon was ambushed after they observed and began pursuing a solitary VC fleeing down a trail. Thinking they had an easy "kill," the VC led them into a well-planned kill zone. An estimated Viet Cong company opened fire with small arms, automatic weapons, and Claymore mines. The point element suffered heavy casualties and was pinned down when calls went out to the NDP for help. A reaction force from Second Platoon raced to their location. Radio contact was lost with the patrol during the half-hour it took before they found the first American, lying dead on a trail with his arms outstretched. Next to him lay a jammed M16 rifle. Further down they found a small clearing where five survivors huddled together. In front of them were fifteen dead, many hit multiple times. Several of them died trying to pull back their wounded comrades. While policing up the battle area, of the fallen fifteen, nine had jammed M16's. The dead and two wounded were carried in ponchos slung to bamboo stalks to a hastily cut landing zone. Two enemy dead were found. Green, a medic, was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for valor during the battle; Stalter received the Bronze Star. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and SGT Stalter's Bronze Star medal citation; also, the book "Blood on the Risers" by John Leppelman]

The lost personnel included:
PVT Lawrence Strack
PFC Charles B. Alandt
PFC Charles H. Bennett
1LT Welborn A. Callahan Jr.
PFC Paul W. Curran
PFC Michael J. Drake
PFC Michael L. Ebald
SSG Melvin C. Gaines
PFC Earl S. Garrison
SP4 Moses Green
SSG Angel P. Saez-Ramirez
PFC James A. Skiles
SGT John R. Stalter
PFC Charles Herman Bennett, Vietnam Veteran, Native of Fayettville, North Carolina.

Private First Class Charles Herman Bennett served as a member of the Army, PFC Bennett served our country until March 3rd, 1967 in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam. He was 22 years old and was not married. It was reported that Charles died from an undetermined explosion. His body was recovered. PFC Bennett is on panel 16E, line 007 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for 2 years.

He was the son of Mr and Mrs Jethro H Bennett, 844 East Orange Street, Fayetteville, NC.

He served with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, "The Rock", 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division(Air Mobile), USARV.

He was awarded The Combat Infantryman's Badge(CIB), The Bronze Star Medal, The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal and The Good Conduct Medal.
==========
During Operation Junction City I, airborne troops of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173d Airborne Brigade sought the Viet Cong's (VC) elusive "headquarters" of the Communist uprising in South Vietnam. Searching in thick bamboo forest and jungle adjacent to the Cambodian border in western Tay Ninh Province, the highly mobile VC were not easy to find, and encounters with them could be sudden and deadly. Early on the morning of March 3, 1967, Third Platoon, C Company, 2-503rd set out on an all-day search and destroy mission from their company's night defensive position (NDP). While revisiting an area where contact with the enemy was made the day before, the platoon was ambushed after they observed and began pursuing a solitary VC fleeing down a trail. Thinking they had an easy "kill," the VC led them into a well-planned kill zone. An estimated Viet Cong company opened fire with small arms, automatic weapons, and Claymore mines. The point element suffered heavy casualties and was pinned down when calls went out to the NDP for help. A reaction force from Second Platoon raced to their location. Radio contact was lost with the patrol during the half-hour it took before they found the first American, lying dead on a trail with his arms outstretched. Next to him lay a jammed M16 rifle. Further down they found a small clearing where five survivors huddled together. In front of them were fifteen dead, many hit multiple times. Several of them died trying to pull back their wounded comrades. While policing up the battle area, of the fallen fifteen, nine had jammed M16's. The dead and two wounded were carried in ponchos slung to bamboo stalks to a hastily cut landing zone. Two enemy dead were found. Green, a medic, was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for valor during the battle; Stalter received the Bronze Star. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and SGT Stalter's Bronze Star medal citation; also, the book "Blood on the Risers" by John Leppelman]

The lost personnel included:
PVT Lawrence Strack
PFC Charles B. Alandt
PFC Charles H. Bennett
1LT Welborn A. Callahan Jr.
PFC Paul W. Curran
PFC Michael J. Drake
PFC Michael L. Ebald
SSG Melvin C. Gaines
PFC Earl S. Garrison
SP4 Moses Green
SSG Angel P. Saez-Ramirez
PFC James A. Skiles
SGT John R. Stalter

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