US Marine LCPL Franklin Roosevelt Thorpe, Vietnam Veteran, Native of Tarboro, NC.
US Marine Lance Corporal Franklin Roosevelt Thorpe was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Marine Corps, LCPL Thorpe served our country until June 15th, 1967 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. He was 18 years old and was not married. It was reported that Franklin died from friendly small arms fire. He was killed in action during Operation ADAIR. His body was recovered. Franklin was born on August 7th, 1948 in Tarboro, North Carolina. LCPL Thorpe is on panel 21E, line 109 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for less than a year.
I was a friend in served with Thorpe in Nam. We were always the point together in Kilo 3/5. We were always on point and always trying to out-do each other when it came to being brave. We always were the first to get up the hills and to search hooches. We were the points. He was never afraid. I always told him to use more caution. I went on in-country R&R to China Beach in Jun 67 for a week. When I returned I was looking for my best friend, 'Old Thorpe'. I had 10 months in country by then. When I was told that Thorpe was killed in action. I didn't believe it. I was told he was on point as we usually were. He went out front to check on a hooch that was thought to be Viet Cong(VC). Someone didn't get the word that our man was in the hooch and some idiot started shooting and yelling Charlie was in the hooch, then all hell broke loose. Everyone began firing. When they go to the hooch Thorpe was dead and there weren't any Charlie's.
I left Nam for LA. I got married. My wife Mildred McCray and I went to tell the family what had happened because I couldn't get him off my mind. I had been saving my money to send home so Thorpe and I didn't go on R&R as you can go every three months. I always thought he would be alive if I was there to watch out for him. I was called an Old Timer in Nam and used a little more caution. Thorpe wanted to be a hero. He got one Purple Heart and later I got two. When my wife and I got to Tarboro, NC, my new wife from Los Angeles decided that telling the family that their son was killed by friendly fire was a mistake. We drove off and went to Florida to visit my parents. She was crying and I stopped the car and we just thought about all the guys I knew that got killed in Vietnam.
When I got to Florida, I heard Calvin Jackson was killed in Nam. We grew up in Chattahoochee, FL. We called him Coleman. I didn't know he was in the Marines or Nam. I ran into a classmate from Carter-Parramore High School, Quincy, FL in South Vietnam just walking down the street. Everybody was in Vietnam. If you wanted to find a black male, Latino or poor white male, go to Vietnam. We were all there for the Country, Good Old USA. God Bless Franklin Thorpe and his family. Myers McCray, 12231 66th St NW, Palm Beach, FL 33412, [email protected]
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Almond B Thorpe, Route #3, Box 389, Tarboro, NC.
He served with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd MAF.
He was awarded The Combat Action Ribbon(CAR), The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds with One Gold Star, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal.
US Marine Lance Corporal Franklin Roosevelt Thorpe was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Marine Corps, LCPL Thorpe served our country until June 15th, 1967 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. He was 18 years old and was not married. It was reported that Franklin died from friendly small arms fire. He was killed in action during Operation ADAIR. His body was recovered. Franklin was born on August 7th, 1948 in Tarboro, North Carolina. LCPL Thorpe is on panel 21E, line 109 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for less than a year.
I was a friend in served with Thorpe in Nam. We were always the point together in Kilo 3/5. We were always on point and always trying to out-do each other when it came to being brave. We always were the first to get up the hills and to search hooches. We were the points. He was never afraid. I always told him to use more caution. I went on in-country R&R to China Beach in Jun 67 for a week. When I returned I was looking for my best friend, 'Old Thorpe'. I had 10 months in country by then. When I was told that Thorpe was killed in action. I didn't believe it. I was told he was on point as we usually were. He went out front to check on a hooch that was thought to be Viet Cong(VC). Someone didn't get the word that our man was in the hooch and some idiot started shooting and yelling Charlie was in the hooch, then all hell broke loose. Everyone began firing. When they go to the hooch Thorpe was dead and there weren't any Charlie's.
I left Nam for LA. I got married. My wife Mildred McCray and I went to tell the family what had happened because I couldn't get him off my mind. I had been saving my money to send home so Thorpe and I didn't go on R&R as you can go every three months. I always thought he would be alive if I was there to watch out for him. I was called an Old Timer in Nam and used a little more caution. Thorpe wanted to be a hero. He got one Purple Heart and later I got two. When my wife and I got to Tarboro, NC, my new wife from Los Angeles decided that telling the family that their son was killed by friendly fire was a mistake. We drove off and went to Florida to visit my parents. She was crying and I stopped the car and we just thought about all the guys I knew that got killed in Vietnam.
When I got to Florida, I heard Calvin Jackson was killed in Nam. We grew up in Chattahoochee, FL. We called him Coleman. I didn't know he was in the Marines or Nam. I ran into a classmate from Carter-Parramore High School, Quincy, FL in South Vietnam just walking down the street. Everybody was in Vietnam. If you wanted to find a black male, Latino or poor white male, go to Vietnam. We were all there for the Country, Good Old USA. God Bless Franklin Thorpe and his family. Myers McCray, 12231 66th St NW, Palm Beach, FL 33412, [email protected]
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Almond B Thorpe, Route #3, Box 389, Tarboro, NC.
He served with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd MAF.
He was awarded The Combat Action Ribbon(CAR), The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds with One Gold Star, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal.
US Marine LCPL Franklin Roosevelt Thorpe, Vietnam Veteran, Native of Tarboro, NC.
US Marine Lance Corporal Franklin Roosevelt Thorpe was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Marine Corps, LCPL Thorpe served our country until June 15th, 1967 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. He was 18 years old and was not married. It was reported that Franklin died from friendly small arms fire. He was killed in action during Operation ADAIR. His body was recovered. Franklin was born on August 7th, 1948 in Tarboro, North Carolina. LCPL Thorpe is on panel 21E, line 109 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for less than a year.
I was a friend in served with Thorpe in Nam. We were always the point together in Kilo 3/5. We were always on point and always trying to out-do each other when it came to being brave. We always were the first to get up the hills and to search hooches. We were the points. He was never afraid. I always told him to use more caution. I went on in-country R&R to China Beach in Jun 67 for a week. When I returned I was looking for my best friend, 'Old Thorpe'. I had 10 months in country by then. When I was told that Thorpe was killed in action. I didn't believe it. I was told he was on point as we usually were. He went out front to check on a hooch that was thought to be Viet Cong(VC). Someone didn't get the word that our man was in the hooch and some idiot started shooting and yelling Charlie was in the hooch, then all hell broke loose. Everyone began firing. When they go to the hooch Thorpe was dead and there weren't any Charlie's.
I left Nam for LA. I got married. My wife Mildred McCray and I went to tell the family what had happened because I couldn't get him off my mind. I had been saving my money to send home so Thorpe and I didn't go on R&R as you can go every three months. I always thought he would be alive if I was there to watch out for him. I was called an Old Timer in Nam and used a little more caution. Thorpe wanted to be a hero. He got one Purple Heart and later I got two. When my wife and I got to Tarboro, NC, my new wife from Los Angeles decided that telling the family that their son was killed by friendly fire was a mistake. We drove off and went to Florida to visit my parents. She was crying and I stopped the car and we just thought about all the guys I knew that got killed in Vietnam.
When I got to Florida, I heard Calvin Jackson was killed in Nam. We grew up in Chattahoochee, FL. We called him Coleman. I didn't know he was in the Marines or Nam. I ran into a classmate from Carter-Parramore High School, Quincy, FL in South Vietnam just walking down the street. Everybody was in Vietnam. If you wanted to find a black male, Latino or poor white male, go to Vietnam. We were all there for the Country, Good Old USA. God Bless Franklin Thorpe and his family. Myers McCray, 12231 66th St NW, Palm Beach, FL 33412, [email protected]
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Almond B Thorpe, Route #3, Box 389, Tarboro, NC.
He served with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd MAF.
He was awarded The Combat Action Ribbon(CAR), The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds with One Gold Star, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal.
US Marine Lance Corporal Franklin Roosevelt Thorpe was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Marine Corps, LCPL Thorpe served our country until June 15th, 1967 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. He was 18 years old and was not married. It was reported that Franklin died from friendly small arms fire. He was killed in action during Operation ADAIR. His body was recovered. Franklin was born on August 7th, 1948 in Tarboro, North Carolina. LCPL Thorpe is on panel 21E, line 109 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for less than a year.
I was a friend in served with Thorpe in Nam. We were always the point together in Kilo 3/5. We were always on point and always trying to out-do each other when it came to being brave. We always were the first to get up the hills and to search hooches. We were the points. He was never afraid. I always told him to use more caution. I went on in-country R&R to China Beach in Jun 67 for a week. When I returned I was looking for my best friend, 'Old Thorpe'. I had 10 months in country by then. When I was told that Thorpe was killed in action. I didn't believe it. I was told he was on point as we usually were. He went out front to check on a hooch that was thought to be Viet Cong(VC). Someone didn't get the word that our man was in the hooch and some idiot started shooting and yelling Charlie was in the hooch, then all hell broke loose. Everyone began firing. When they go to the hooch Thorpe was dead and there weren't any Charlie's.
I left Nam for LA. I got married. My wife Mildred McCray and I went to tell the family what had happened because I couldn't get him off my mind. I had been saving my money to send home so Thorpe and I didn't go on R&R as you can go every three months. I always thought he would be alive if I was there to watch out for him. I was called an Old Timer in Nam and used a little more caution. Thorpe wanted to be a hero. He got one Purple Heart and later I got two. When my wife and I got to Tarboro, NC, my new wife from Los Angeles decided that telling the family that their son was killed by friendly fire was a mistake. We drove off and went to Florida to visit my parents. She was crying and I stopped the car and we just thought about all the guys I knew that got killed in Vietnam.
When I got to Florida, I heard Calvin Jackson was killed in Nam. We grew up in Chattahoochee, FL. We called him Coleman. I didn't know he was in the Marines or Nam. I ran into a classmate from Carter-Parramore High School, Quincy, FL in South Vietnam just walking down the street. Everybody was in Vietnam. If you wanted to find a black male, Latino or poor white male, go to Vietnam. We were all there for the Country, Good Old USA. God Bless Franklin Thorpe and his family. Myers McCray, 12231 66th St NW, Palm Beach, FL 33412, [email protected]
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Almond B Thorpe, Route #3, Box 389, Tarboro, NC.
He served with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd MAF.
He was awarded The Combat Action Ribbon(CAR), The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds with One Gold Star, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal.
Inscription
Lance Corporal, 1st Marine Division
Vietnam; Purple Heart & Gold Star
Family Members
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