Corporal Michael James Sturgill, served with the Reconnaissance Platoon, Company E, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, Killed in Action (KIA)
In the early morning of May 12, 1969, Recon Platoon, E Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, was settled into a night defensive position (NDP) in the middle of a rice paddy in the vicinity of LZ Razorback in Quang Ngai Province, RVN. They had been directed the previous day to set up in this position, and the new platoon leader, compliantly following orders, had his 18-strong team dig fighting holes after dark. Their vulnerable position did not go unnoticed by the local Viet Cong who observed unseen the American patrols, and a little after midnight, 60mm mortar rounds began falling on Recon's NDP. The results were devastating. Five members of the patrol were killed, including four which were hit by the same round, and another who recklessly lay on an air mattress. Another eight were wounded. They were evacuated for immediate medical care to a U.S. Army medical unit within with 11th Brigade headquarters at LZ Bronco in Duc Pho. There the dead were identified at Graves Registration by the previous platoon leader who had refused the mission and was subsequently relieved of his command. The lost Recon troopers were SP5 Joseph A. Nurzynski, SP4 Bruce E. Peteroy, PFC Michael J. Sturgill, SP4 Charles Thomas Jr., and SP4 Samuel L. Wable. Sturgill was posthumously promoted to Corporal. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]
HONORED ON PANEL 25W, LINE 87 OF THE WALL
In the early morning of May 12, 1969, Recon Platoon, E Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, was settled into a night defensive position (NDP) in the middle of a rice paddy in the vicinity of LZ Razorback in Quang Ngai Province, RVN. They had been directed the previous day to set up in this position, and the new platoon leader, compliantly following orders, had his 18-strong team dig fighting holes after dark. Their vulnerable position did not go unnoticed by the local Viet Cong who observed unseen the American patrols, and a little after midnight, 60mm mortar rounds began falling on Recon's NDP. The results were devastating. Five members of the patrol were killed, including four which were hit by the same round, and another who recklessly lay on an air mattress. Another eight were wounded. They were evacuated for immediate medical care to a U.S. Army medical unit within with 11th Brigade headquarters at LZ Bronco in Duc Pho. There the dead were identified at Graves Registration by the previous platoon leader who had refused the mission and was subsequently relieved of his command. The lost Recon troopers were SP5 Joseph A. Nurzynski, SP4 Bruce E. Peteroy, PFC Michael J. Sturgill, SP4 Charles Thomas Jr., and SP4 Samuel L. Wable. Sturgill was posthumously promoted to Corporal. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]
HONORED ON PANEL 25W, LINE 87 OF THE WALL
Corporal Michael James Sturgill, served with the Reconnaissance Platoon, Company E, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, Killed in Action (KIA)
In the early morning of May 12, 1969, Recon Platoon, E Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, was settled into a night defensive position (NDP) in the middle of a rice paddy in the vicinity of LZ Razorback in Quang Ngai Province, RVN. They had been directed the previous day to set up in this position, and the new platoon leader, compliantly following orders, had his 18-strong team dig fighting holes after dark. Their vulnerable position did not go unnoticed by the local Viet Cong who observed unseen the American patrols, and a little after midnight, 60mm mortar rounds began falling on Recon's NDP. The results were devastating. Five members of the patrol were killed, including four which were hit by the same round, and another who recklessly lay on an air mattress. Another eight were wounded. They were evacuated for immediate medical care to a U.S. Army medical unit within with 11th Brigade headquarters at LZ Bronco in Duc Pho. There the dead were identified at Graves Registration by the previous platoon leader who had refused the mission and was subsequently relieved of his command. The lost Recon troopers were SP5 Joseph A. Nurzynski, SP4 Bruce E. Peteroy, PFC Michael J. Sturgill, SP4 Charles Thomas Jr., and SP4 Samuel L. Wable. Sturgill was posthumously promoted to Corporal. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]
HONORED ON PANEL 25W, LINE 87 OF THE WALL
In the early morning of May 12, 1969, Recon Platoon, E Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, was settled into a night defensive position (NDP) in the middle of a rice paddy in the vicinity of LZ Razorback in Quang Ngai Province, RVN. They had been directed the previous day to set up in this position, and the new platoon leader, compliantly following orders, had his 18-strong team dig fighting holes after dark. Their vulnerable position did not go unnoticed by the local Viet Cong who observed unseen the American patrols, and a little after midnight, 60mm mortar rounds began falling on Recon's NDP. The results were devastating. Five members of the patrol were killed, including four which were hit by the same round, and another who recklessly lay on an air mattress. Another eight were wounded. They were evacuated for immediate medical care to a U.S. Army medical unit within with 11th Brigade headquarters at LZ Bronco in Duc Pho. There the dead were identified at Graves Registration by the previous platoon leader who had refused the mission and was subsequently relieved of his command. The lost Recon troopers were SP5 Joseph A. Nurzynski, SP4 Bruce E. Peteroy, PFC Michael J. Sturgill, SP4 Charles Thomas Jr., and SP4 Samuel L. Wable. Sturgill was posthumously promoted to Corporal. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]
HONORED ON PANEL 25W, LINE 87 OF THE WALL
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age 19y
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