William the son of John C. and Mary A. Prothero enlisted in the US Marine Corps in Albany NY. He arrived in Vietnam on July 28,1967 and was assigned for duty with Company F, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF.
With search and destroy operations centered north of the Thu Bong river on Operation Foster, Company F encountered a bunkered enemy force in Phu Binh village complex, after pursuing three enemy snipers. Entering the built up area the morning erupted with the sound of automatic weapons directed at the Marines from well concealed trenches and fighting holes.
Company L, operating just to the south of Company F made contact with another force at about the same time, both units were being hit with small arms, rocket propelled grenades and mortar fire. The enemy fire increased from the hamlet Phu Long keeping the Marines of Company L pinned down in a graveyard. By midafternoon Company I, 3d Battalion was committed to the action with the men attempting to break through to their comrades. Marine casualties were mounting from accurate fire from a stubborn enemy who had the advantage of concealment resisting artillery and air strikes called in by the Marines. The ferocious battles raged until the units linked up early in the evening, harassing fire continued throughout the night making any medical evacuations virtually impossible, most of the wounded would have to wait for daylight.
The action proved costly for the men of the 7th Marines, with thirteen killed and eighty wounded during the engagement with the enemy forces. Cpl Prothero was one of the men killed in action as a result of enemy rifle fire.
Casualties:
Company F
Donald Albert Basalla
Michael David Deeson
Hank John Conrad DeHommel
Danny Lee Frye
Manuel Hernandez
William Henry Prothero
Lonnie Lee Silver
H&S Company
Frank Leroy Allred Jr.
Company I
Gerald Anthony DeMunda
Company L
Wesley David Day
Gerald Ray Hendrickson
Cecil Dwight Lamm
Arthur William Riegel Jr.
With search and destroy operations centered north of the Thu Bong river on Operation Foster, Company F encountered a bunkered enemy force in Phu Binh village complex, after pursuing three enemy snipers. Entering the built up area the morning erupted with the sound of automatic weapons directed at the Marines from well concealed trenches and fighting holes.
Company L, operating just to the south of Company F made contact with another force at about the same time, both units were being hit with small arms, rocket propelled grenades and mortar fire. The enemy fire increased from the hamlet Phu Long keeping the Marines of Company L pinned down in a graveyard. By midafternoon Company I, 3d Battalion was committed to the action with the men attempting to break through to their comrades. Marine casualties were mounting from accurate fire from a stubborn enemy who had the advantage of concealment resisting artillery and air strikes called in by the Marines. The ferocious battles raged until the units linked up early in the evening, harassing fire continued throughout the night making any medical evacuations virtually impossible, most of the wounded would have to wait for daylight.
The action proved costly for the men of the 7th Marines, with thirteen killed and eighty wounded during the engagement with the enemy forces. Cpl Prothero was one of the men killed in action as a result of enemy rifle fire.
Casualties:
Company F
Donald Albert Basalla
Michael David Deeson
Hank John Conrad DeHommel
Danny Lee Frye
Manuel Hernandez
William Henry Prothero
Lonnie Lee Silver
H&S Company
Frank Leroy Allred Jr.
Company I
Gerald Anthony DeMunda
Company L
Wesley David Day
Gerald Ray Hendrickson
Cecil Dwight Lamm
Arthur William Riegel Jr.
William the son of John C. and Mary A. Prothero enlisted in the US Marine Corps in Albany NY. He arrived in Vietnam on July 28,1967 and was assigned for duty with Company F, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF.
With search and destroy operations centered north of the Thu Bong river on Operation Foster, Company F encountered a bunkered enemy force in Phu Binh village complex, after pursuing three enemy snipers. Entering the built up area the morning erupted with the sound of automatic weapons directed at the Marines from well concealed trenches and fighting holes.
Company L, operating just to the south of Company F made contact with another force at about the same time, both units were being hit with small arms, rocket propelled grenades and mortar fire. The enemy fire increased from the hamlet Phu Long keeping the Marines of Company L pinned down in a graveyard. By midafternoon Company I, 3d Battalion was committed to the action with the men attempting to break through to their comrades. Marine casualties were mounting from accurate fire from a stubborn enemy who had the advantage of concealment resisting artillery and air strikes called in by the Marines. The ferocious battles raged until the units linked up early in the evening, harassing fire continued throughout the night making any medical evacuations virtually impossible, most of the wounded would have to wait for daylight.
The action proved costly for the men of the 7th Marines, with thirteen killed and eighty wounded during the engagement with the enemy forces. Cpl Prothero was one of the men killed in action as a result of enemy rifle fire.
Casualties:
Company F
Donald Albert Basalla
Michael David Deeson
Hank John Conrad DeHommel
Danny Lee Frye
Manuel Hernandez
William Henry Prothero
Lonnie Lee Silver
H&S Company
Frank Leroy Allred Jr.
Company I
Gerald Anthony DeMunda
Company L
Wesley David Day
Gerald Ray Hendrickson
Cecil Dwight Lamm
Arthur William Riegel Jr.
With search and destroy operations centered north of the Thu Bong river on Operation Foster, Company F encountered a bunkered enemy force in Phu Binh village complex, after pursuing three enemy snipers. Entering the built up area the morning erupted with the sound of automatic weapons directed at the Marines from well concealed trenches and fighting holes.
Company L, operating just to the south of Company F made contact with another force at about the same time, both units were being hit with small arms, rocket propelled grenades and mortar fire. The enemy fire increased from the hamlet Phu Long keeping the Marines of Company L pinned down in a graveyard. By midafternoon Company I, 3d Battalion was committed to the action with the men attempting to break through to their comrades. Marine casualties were mounting from accurate fire from a stubborn enemy who had the advantage of concealment resisting artillery and air strikes called in by the Marines. The ferocious battles raged until the units linked up early in the evening, harassing fire continued throughout the night making any medical evacuations virtually impossible, most of the wounded would have to wait for daylight.
The action proved costly for the men of the 7th Marines, with thirteen killed and eighty wounded during the engagement with the enemy forces. Cpl Prothero was one of the men killed in action as a result of enemy rifle fire.
Casualties:
Company F
Donald Albert Basalla
Michael David Deeson
Hank John Conrad DeHommel
Danny Lee Frye
Manuel Hernandez
William Henry Prothero
Lonnie Lee Silver
H&S Company
Frank Leroy Allred Jr.
Company I
Gerald Anthony DeMunda
Company L
Wesley David Day
Gerald Ray Hendrickson
Cecil Dwight Lamm
Arthur William Riegel Jr.
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