1st Recon Battalion Association

1st Recon Battalion Association

Thanks for your service.

Part 35

2025

March 1st Half

1st Reconnaissance Battalion
Missions / Patrol Reports

Are you looking for your Old Patrol Reports? Check out this page on my website:

http://www.weststpaulantiques.com/reconmissions.html

Too close to whisper...
...one click for "yes", two for "no"...
"Brothers of the Bush"

----------------------------
Recon...their name is
their honor...and nothing more
need be said...Recon

Floyd Ruggles

Check Out New Messages/Newsletter

...

All Companies

Photo Gallery

The Memory Remains Not All Wounds Are Visible.

"A Brotherhood Forged In Combat"

1st Reconnaissance Battalion Index

Message Board Links

Part 1 - 2018-2019 

Part 2 - 2019-2020 

Part 3 - 2020 

Part 4 - 2020 

Part 5  - 2020

Past Message Board

Past Newsletters 

Part 1 - 2017-2018 

Part 2 - 2018 

Part 3 - 2018 

Part 4 - 2018-2019 

Past Reunions 

Past Stories 

Send in your photos

Part 6  - 2020

Past Photos Galleries 

Part 7  - 2020

Part 8  - 2020

Bobby Bare

 

 

Photo Gallery

Part 10  - 2021

Click a photo to link to a page on our  website or Facebook. Links are found on nearly all Web pages. Links allow users to click their way from page to page. You will find thousands of links on the 1st recon battalion association website.

In Remembrance of our brother Reconnaissance Marines & Corpsmen killed in action or otherwise while on duty.

Look at it as your Time Capsule. This website won't stand long after we are all gone.

 

Daniel M Turpin

1st Recon Battalion Association

Part 11  - 2021

1st Reconnaissance Battalion
Missions / Patrol Reports

Too close to whisper...
...one click for "yes", two for "no"...
"Brothers of the Bush"

----------------------------
Recon...their name is
their honor...and nothing more
need be said...Recon
------------------------

YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

Bravo Company 1968-1969

Part 12  - 2021

Meet some of our members of our association.

To all Association Members,

Please reply and update or confirm your Information.
Your 1st Recon Battalion Association Website Information
can be found at: 1streconbn.org/members.html

Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks for all your help.

My email address is floyd@weststpaulantiques.com.
Please keep your information up to date.

This will allow the Association to send messages out from time to time by email or by mail.

Semper Fi,
Floyd Ruggles
Membership Director & Webmaster

1st Recon Battalion Association

New Members to the Association of the Natural Warrior

2023

Part 13  - 2021-2022

Part 14  - 2022

Part 15  - 2022

Part 16  - 2023

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

1st Recon Battalion Association

Message Board will be our newsletter going forward. 

It's ongoing and you can be a part of it, each month through out the year.

1st Recon Battalion Association

Message Board will be our newsletter going forward. 

It's ongoing and you can be a part of it, each month through out the year.

1st Recon Battalion Association

Message Board will be our newsletter going forward. 

It's ongoing and you can be a part of it, each month through out the year.

Click a photo to link to a page on our website. Links are found on nearly all Web pages.
Links allow users to click their way from page to page.

Navigator is at the top of each page.

**WELCOME to FIRST RECON'S WEBSITE** 2009-2023 

Don't be fooled by the warning signs it's a safe website, it's just an old platfrom. Just hit advance, you will enjoy this website, it's my personal website.

1st Recon Battalion Association

Message Board will be our newsletter going forward. 

It's ongoing and you can be a part of it, each month through out the year.

Association Purpose

Our mission is to help locate former Recon Marines and their families, and to recognize those who paid the ultimate price through the 1st Recon Memorial Fund which has established and will help maintain the permanent memorial at the Marine Corps Historical Museum at Camp Quantico Virginia.

Message from webmaster!

March 2025 - 1st Half Newsletter

Part 17  - 2023

Part 18  - 2023

Part 19  - 2023

Part 20  - 2023

Part 21  - 2023

Part 22  - 2024

Member of 1st Recon Battalion Association

1st Recon Bn KIA Vietnam War

..

War Story

.....

Rest in Peace

The Jim Southall Story, Over 200 1st Recon Battalion Marines involved in this story. The story is a work in progress over the next year. Over 100 Patrol Reports.

Some Give It All

Vietnam 1968-1969

Thoughts of that Day

Doug Wolfe's Story

Patrol Report #349-68

98 hours on Charlie Ridge

Index by dates & names

Sergeant Jim Southall - Hill 200 1969

Are Message Board is now our new newsletter.

1968

1969

Membership Director & Webmaster

2016-2025

Floyd

Last night I awoke to the sounds of thunder. I was recalling a small part of a day a long time ago. As if it was yesterday...

Today is a particularly dreary, rainy day. Lookout Mountain is socked in good. It is not unusual for it to be socked in. Hell they fought the Battle Above the Clouds there during the Civil War.

However, today it put me in mind of another dreary, socked in ridge I was on for around 2 hours on 3 June, 1968. Known only to me as Hill 200, it was a desolate, indefensible place that somebody in the 1st Mardiv G3 shop picked off the map to insert my platoon on as an observation post & radio relay.

Stories from Members

Some Give It All

THE DAY THE CRAP WENT UP IN FLAMES
By Gary Graves, HM3

5 Minutes ‘Til Forever

Part 36

Applicants

1st RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 4. DUES. Association members have no mandatory dues. However, Members and Associate Members are encouraged to make donations, annually, to help defray the Association’s operating expenses. An annual donation of $10.00 is suggested.

Semper Fi, Floyd Ruggles

Membership Director & Webmaster

1st Recon Battalion Association

Welcome to our New Members Page

1st Recon Battalion Association

Next Page

Previous Page

Some of the 1st Marines into Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11

For Membership in 1st Recon Battalion Association

All Units
March 1966 - May 1971

This link is to my old website It's a safe website on a old plarform follow instructions to the webpage. 

Part 24  - 2024

Part 25  - 2024

Part 9  - 2020

1st Recon Battalion

Association of the Natural Warrior

March 2025 - 1st Half Newsletter

Part 26  - 2024

Part 27  - 2024

Part 29  - 2024

Click a photo to link to a page on our website. Links are found on nearly all Web pages.Links allow users to click their way from page to page. You will find thousands of links on this website.

1st Recon Battalion Association is a non-profit organization of former and current members of the 1st Recon Battalion, 1st Marine Division

Thanks for taking the time to stop by our website today.

Your Webmaster

Floyd Ruggles

Coming Soon

Thanks for stopping by today

Part 28  - 2024

Part 30  - 2024

Part 31  - 2025

Floyd,

The Force Recon Association (FRA) invites our members to join the FRA. !st Recon members are also invited to attend the FRA reunion, 24 - 27 Apri 2025.l
Please post their announcement.

Thanks,
Charlie

CKershaw <invictus7@earthlink.net> 12/17/2024 4:01 PM FRA Recon 2025 - FRA Annual Reunion

Email from:

From: FRA Vice President and Executive Director, Dave Jarvis
To: All FRA Members
Subj: 2025 FRA Annual Reunion
 
Attn: Alan Sniadecki    FRA#: 2064   Dues Paid Through: LIFEMBR    Member Status: A
 
2025 FRA Annual Reunion
 
Mark your calendars, as our reunion dates are set for 24-27 April, in San Diego, California!  Attached to this email is our schedule of events and registration form should you want to pay with check or money order by mail.  You can also register and find out all the details through our website at: www.forcerecon.com
 
The hotel block of rooms is on a first come first serve basis so don’t wait to make reservations!  I’ll be sending out a 90 and 45 day email reminder along with any adjustments to the schedule of events. 
 
Holiday Inn Bayside Hotel Information:
 
The Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside is located in Point Loma across from the San Diego Bay and only 1.5 miles from the San Diego International Airport at: 4875 N. Harbor Drive San Diego, CA.
 
Our overnight accommodations are scheduled from 04/23/2025-04/27/2025.  The group discount code is T0P, and rates are valid for booking through 03/24/2025.
 
Click here Force Recon Association Reunion to proceed directly to your reservation desk.
 
The group rate is available for three days pre and post event based on room availability via the provided link or contact hotel reservations directly at Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside.  Call toll free (800) 662-8899 to book by phone.  If you need to speak to someone at the hotel directly for special assistance, please call 619-221-3052 from Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm PST.

• Complimentary Airport Shuttle Service
•  Parking Fee = WAIVED (value = $23 per day, per vehicle)
• Complimentary Wi-Fi in all guest rooms and meeting rooms
• Hotel will allow our group to bring in their own Snacks & Beverages, including alcohol, into their designated Hospitality Room at no additional charge.
• Complimentary Fitness Center
• On-site Restaurant serving daily breakfast, lunch & dinner, plus a wide variety of great restaurant options within close walking distance, including several waterfront restaurants across the street.
• Weekday Happy Hour Specials from 4:00pm – 7:00pm
• 10% Discount in Point Loma Café for Senior Discount
 
Should you have any questions at all please feel free to reach out to me at any time.
 
I look forward to seeing many of you at our next reunion!
 
 
Semper Fidelis
Dave Jarvis
Jarvisda77@gmail.com
C: (760) 716-3713
Vice President and Executive Director

2025 Reunion

Rest In Peace, Marines!

from: Bruce Fogarty
I remember that day. I met Colonel Leftwich’s son in Washington Naval Yard for a Recon Reunion. I remember that day as if it was yesterday

Part 32  - 2025

Sgt. Lucas, extract from Charlie Ridge

Part 33  - 2025

Vietnam War 1st Recon Battalion 1965-1971

What I was doing 55 years ago to date.

Hill 200
February 27 - March 11, 1969
Click Here

Elephant Valley
March 15-19, 1969

The Thuong Duc TAOR
(Tactical Area of Operational Responsibility)

Hill 422 - Blocking Force
March 25-29, 1969

Part 34  - 2025

SAVE the DATE :1st Recon Battalion Association 2025 Reunion

Book signing , 11-17 August Washington , D.C./ Quantico

Marines and Corpsmen,

 

I hope to see all of you at the 2025 Reunion in Washington DC in August! Please pass the word. This is a combo Reunion First Marine Division Association and 1st Recon Bn. Association.

 

I plan on attending the 1st Recon Reunion in August in Washington/Quantico. I will be signing my just released NEW BOOK; Hill 119, Defending a Reconnaissance Marines' OP, Vietnam, 1969-1970.

 

This book covers Delta Companies OP Hill 119 but also covers other Recon teams’ actions like Echo Company’s, Team Bad Actor lead by 1st Lt Earl Hailston. If you lived at Camp Reasoner or were part of Team Mission Impossible, its all in this 500+ page history book with over 50 pictures. The Forward is by legendary Marine and author, Bing West.

 

For many of you, this is your history with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Buy a book, bring it with you to the 1st Recon Battalion Association Reunion , 11-17 August, Washington DC / Quantico. I will sign it for you at the Reunion.

 

Register thru FMDA website for further details https://1stmda.org/  Our 78th Annual Reunion 10-17 August 2025 in Arlington, Virginia ,Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel.

 

Book:  Hill 119, Defending a Reconnaissance Marines' OP, Vietnam, 1969-1970 is now available for pre-order.

 

Websites to pre-order: www.pog-llc.com   https://www.pog-llc.com/

 

Casemate Publisher: https://www.casematepublishers.com/9781636245928/hill-119/

 

Amazon https://a.co/d/4GRUwYs

 

Hope to see you at the reunion !

Semper Fi

Mike

Marine

Delta-1

1st Recon Bn., 1970

3/26, 1969

1/1, 1990/91

https://www.pog-llc.com/

Coming Summer 2025

Defending a Reconnaissance Marines’ OP, Vietnam, 1969-1970
by Michael Fallon, Colonel,
U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

.

.

A narrative account of Reconnaissance Marines in Vietnam. Small Teams launching daring deep Stingray patrols in the bush. On the Observation Post, Hill 119 defending for 600 relentless days and nights. Surrounded by the NVA with the constant challenge of determining friendly Vietnamese civilians from hard corps Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars. Their lifeline were the Marine helicopters that flew out bringing water, ammo, food, and their replacement platoon. In 1969 and 1970, Delta Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division manned the OP and ran patrols in Phu Loc Valley and Go Noi Island. This firsthand account of the Marines and Corpsmen who patrolled deep and occupied the OP describes their struggle to survive. Based on participant interviews and the detailed declassified debriefing reports compiled after each patrol returned to their rear base, at Camp Reasoner, Da Nang in the Republic of South Vietnam. This is their history!

Learn More & Pre-Order

Coming Summer 2025

Learn More & Pre-Order

Email from: David E. Baily Charlie Company 6/80-4/82

2025 Reunion Informaion

Message from Charlie regarding Team Rush Act and our 2025 reunion. We will be having a memorial ceremony.
Rest in peace.

Join your 1st Recon brothers at a Rush Act memorial service in Quantico at the Marine Corps Memorial Park August 2025

(Recon Reunion details to follow next spring)
Semper Fidelis,


Charlie Charles Kershaw


Here are the details about the reunion from Ralph M. Witkin

1st Recon Battalion Association Facebook Page

Marine's and Corpsmen who have served with 1st Marine Reconnaissance Battalion from it's inception 1 March 1937 at Quantico, Virginia as the 1st Tank Company and assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade until today's current force. Only members can see who's in the group and what they post.

3 years ago

Gunny Pu

I have a picture Gunny Pu gave to me 15-20 years of him and his PRU company. He told me that they worked out of a building in Danang they called the White House. I was interviewing Reconners for their personal history. I had arranged a mini-reunion in LV, about 20 people including spouses showed. It was past 0200 and well into our cups listening to Gunny weave his stories, mostly emphasized with grunts and sneers. I had recently completed a visit to VN and I asked Gunny to return with me. I promised him we would find the White House.  david snider <docsnidley@aol.com>

Original Photo, Doc David Snider 

Floyd could you please post this query to the Battalion Web site. Thank You

 

Current lineup: Back Row L-R: Unk; SSgt Beardslee; GySgt Terry Moore; Unk; SSgt Muchett

 Front Row L-R: LCpl Dan Nelson; LCpl Sparks; Sgt Papua; Unk; Cpl Randle Manella; Doc Hunt; MSgt Rene Regalot

1969 - 55 Years Ago Camp Reasoner - Da Nang Vietnam

Vietnam
July 1968 - July 1969

I can recall that day I arrived in Nam as a green know it all rookie marine with an attitude. I was going to win the war by myself. What a dumb kid I must have been then. Only moments after arriving that day, reality set in and I learn quickly that I was in hell or some where close.

The Memory Remains,

Not All Wounds Are Visible.

Part 36  - 2025

Terrence "Terry" Leo Moore

USMC LtCol Retired

Moore enlisted in the military in 1955 because he wanted to escape the city life of Detroit, joining the Marine Corps right after high school. After assignment to Okinawa, Japan, Moore volunteered with the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company. As a recon Marine, he was sent to Lebanon, the Dominican Republic, and Cambodia among other undisclosed locations.

1st Recon Battalion Association: No sky too high, No sea too deep, and No hill too steep.

Name: David E Baily
Address: 7850 BRAEBURN RD HOLLAND OH 43528
Email: DAVIDEBAILY7@GMAIL.COM
Home Phone number: 7605186648
Cell Phone Number: 7605186648
Date of Birth (MMDDYY): 12/31/1958
Letter Company
(or other Unit Attached): Charlie Co
Dates with Unit: 6/80-4/82
Spouse Name: Joyce Baily
Date of Application: 2/15/25
Can we show your Home/Cell Number on the website. (Yes or No): Yes
Can we show your Home Address on the website. (Yes or No): Yes

Semper Fi Marines!!!

New Member

Welcome Aboard

1st RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION ASSOCIATION

February 17th, 2025

David E Baily (Charlie Company 6/80-4/82)

I approved your membership in the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Association today.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to welcome you aboard.
I hope that you find membership in the association rewarding and that it fulfills your expectations.

I hope that you make contact with members that knew you.
I will posted your name on our website today at 11:30pm CST.

The 2025 Reunion Information will posted soon on our website for the 78th Annual Reunion in Quantico, Virginia in August of 2025. SAVE the DATES for the Reunion, 11-17 of August in Washington , D.C./ Quantico

 You may also be interested in an earlier reunion in April of 2025 hosted by 1st Force Recon Association. Unfortunately I will not be able to make this one I have prior commitments. Check out this website: https://www.forcerecon.com/annual-force-recon-association-reunion if your interested in the April reunion. 


 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Association members, family and friends, cordially invited to join the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Association at both reunions Reunions held in 2025.

You can send me or post on the 1st Recon Battalion Association Facebook page photos or anything you might want me to post on our website.

Hope to see you at one our up-and-coming reunions maybe this year or in 2026 (God Willing).


Check out our website from time to time for new updates. at: https://1streconbn.org/
I will update the "Taps" section when notified of a fallen brother or other urgent matters.

We do not charge annual dues but raise funds at our annual reunion auction.

Over the years our members have brought their ‘treasures’ and auctioned them off with the funds going to the general fund.

However, Members and Associate Members are encouraged to make donations annually, to help defray the Association's operating expenses.
An annual donation of $10.00 is suggested.

Donations can be sent to the Association Treasurer:
Creg Howland, 43761 Churchill Glen Drive, Chantilly, VA 20152

Make donations payable to the 1st Recon Association.

Please keep your contact INFORMATION Up-To-Date. This allows the Association to contact you occasionally with urgent information or updates.

Again, welcome to our association. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me by email.

I will make every effort to get in touch with you as soon as possible.

Or, you can reach me by phone. My cell number is (612) 810-4196 and you can call me 24/7.

I am looking forward to seeing you at one of our reunions.


Stay safe and maybe I'll see you at the 2025 Reunion in Washington DC in August.
Take care my brother.
 
Semper fi,
Floyd Ruggles,
Membership Director & Webmaster

Sergeant Ernie Wayne Wallace

Local war hero retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Ernie W. Wallace passed away Tuesday, March 11, 2008, after a long and courageous battle with lung cancer. Ernie passed away peacefully at his home in North Ferry Farm with his family at his side.

Ernie was born Jan. 30, 1944, in Wayne, W.Va., to Susie Maynard Wallace and Ernie Wallace. After graduation from Wayne County High School, Ernie enlisted in the Marine Corps, which resulted in a 22-year career.

 
A highly decorated veteran, Ernie received numerous awards, including the Navy Cross, the second-highest medal awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second-highest award given for valor. Ernie's heroic action during Operation Starlite, the first major campaign of the Vietnam War, is on display at the National Marine Corps Museum and was televised by Fox News.

After retirement from the Marine Corps, Ernie applied his work ethic at PermaTreat in Fredericksburg. Ernie enjoyed the hard labor and the opportunity to form many long-lasting and mutually respectful friendships. Ernie's reputation for honesty and a "job done right the first time" earned him a second successful career, where he served as service and sales manager.

 
Ernie's many quiet enjoyments during his lifetime included beekeeping. During an interview with reporter Amy Umble of The Free Lance-Star, Ernie admitted to admiring the work ethic of the honeybee and stated, "If the population of the U.S. would work like bees, we'd be very productive. They're always working." Ernie kept several hives for farms and friends around the area, and sold his honey locally at Roxbury Mills and produce stands.

 

 
Ernie also mentored several other beekeepers hoping to help save the local honeybee population.

Preceded in death by his parents, Ernie is survived by his loving wife, Donna Woodard Wallace, and Donna's parents, Clarence and Ruth Woodard, who thought of Ernie as their son. Ernie leaves behind two daughters, Anne Asercion and her husband, Alex, and Shelley Stone and her husband, Bowen; three sons, Jon Wallace and his wife, Lisa, Chad Curtis and his wife, Christine, and Bret Curtis; and nine grandchildren, Collin, Logan, Devyn, Adaire, Abigail, Kaila, Kendall, Krysten, and Diana. Ernie also leaves one sister, Kathryn Jervis and her husband, Jay; and three brothers, John Wallace and his wife, Wila-Dean, Charlie Wallace and his wife, Joyce, and Clyde Wallace; and numerous nieces and nephews. Ernie also leaves behind two brothers-in-law, Gregg Woodard and his wife, Robin, and Robert Woodard.

Ricardo C. "Rick" Binns

Binns being awarded the Navy Cross

The Most Decorated Single Unit In

The Vietnam War

In June of 1966 Marine Reconnaissance teams were being sent out to look for enemy movements in the area west of the Chu Lai Marine Base. One of those teams was an 18-man patrol from Charlie Co. 1st Recon, lead by then Staff Sgt. Jimmie Howard. They were inserted by helicopter to the top of Hill 488, some 20 miles west of Chu Lai.

.

They didn’t know it then, but this patrol would become the most highly decorated single unit in the Vietnam War.

.

On June 13, shortly after they had been inserted on top of Hill 488, they began to spot enemy activity. They were supported by an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 105mm howitzer battery. They called in artillery missions on those movements. Two days later, they spotted even more enemy movements and again began calling in artillery missions. It became obvious to the enemy troops that they were being observed and they had a fair idea as to where they were being observed from as well.

.

 

It was shortly after that when Staff Sgt. Howard reported on the radio that there were squads of NVA force, later identified as being from the 3rd NVA Regiment, that were beginning to move toward his position on top of Hill 488.

.

In the total darkness, just after midnight on June 15th, 1966 the NVA began probing the Recon team’s position. One of the Navy Hospital Corpsman with the team, B.C. Holmes, recalled, “They were within 20 feet of us. Suddenly there were grenades all over the place. People started hollering. Guys were getting hit at the same time.”

.

In other words, all hell broke loose for this 18 man Recon team, which was clearly outnumbered. But they fought back with a ferocity that would later be recognized by the Marines that were airlifted out to help them get out of that mess.

.

 

The 3rd NVA regiment forces were coming at them with everything they had. The Recon Marines’ position was being swept by AK-47 and heavy machine gun fire from everywhere. Howard got on the radio and reported to Lt. Col. Arthur Sullivan.

“You’ve got to get us out of here,” he told Sullivan. “There are too many of them for my people.”

.

 

Sullivan immediately called in Marine and Air Force air support. Marine Huey gunships began strafing runs to within 20 feet of the Recon perimeters and Marine and Air Force fighter jets were dropping bombs as close as 100 meters from their position. This helped to slow down the NVA assault on Howard’s Recon Marines, but the enemy stayed in the fight throughout the night, firing AK-47 rifle fire at the Reconners all night.

.

Things couldn’t have been worse for Howards Recon team. They were running out of ammo. In fact, they started throwing rocks at the enemy, hoping that they would think that they were grenades.

.

During the night, Howard himself was hit in the back by AK-47 rifle fire. This temporarily paralyzed his legs, but not his spirit. He dragged himself from position to position throughout the night, encouraging his men, keeping them in the fight, even though every last one of them had been wounded.

.

At Dawn, UH-34 helicopters from Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG 36) flew in Marines from Charlie Co. 1st Bn, 5th Marines out of Chu Lai. They were led by 1st Lt. Marshall Darling. They were inserted at the base of Hill 488 and began to assault the NVA 3rd Regiment forces from below in the effort to help break the siege on the Reconners at the top of the hill. As they got to the top of Hill 488, they reported that when they approached the Recon Marines, nearly all of them were armed with AK-47s they had taken from the enemy dead.

.

Every one of the Recon Marines and Corpsmen had been wounded, most more than one time. The Marines from C/1/5 counted 42 dead NVA around the Recon position. In this fight, the Marines suffered 10 KIA, including 2 from C/1/5 and 2 from one of the Huey squadrons, meaning that 6 of the 18 Charlie, 1st Recon team members were among those KIA.

.

When it was all over, Staff Sgt, Jimmie Howard would be awarded the Medal of Honor; Ricardo Binns and Hospital Corpsman, B.C. Holmes would receive the Navy Cross; J.T. Adams and J.R. Thompson would be awarded the Navy Cross posthumously; Charles Bosley, Hospital Corpsman R.J. Fitzpatrick, Raymond Hildreth, Joseph Kosoglow, Robert Martinez, Daniel Mulvihill, William Norman, Thomas Powells, and Ralph Victor, would be awarded Silver Stars; And Ignatius Carlisi, T.D. Glawe, J.C. McKinney and A.N. Mascarenas would receive the Silver Star posthumously.

All 18 men were awarded for their valor that night on top of Hill 488.

The Most Decorated Single Unit In

The Vietnam War

The Battle of Hill 488

Corpsman, Up!


After a harrowing recon mission, the author would leave Vietnam with mental scars far worse than his physical wounds.
By Ralph DiPietro

In 1967, I was a Navy hospital corpsman assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. We initially were based at Chu Lai and later at Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). A Navy corpsman’s job is to save lives, and I was honored to serve with the Marines. They called me “Doc.”

Recon’s main function was to pinpoint the locations of Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops in strongholds near us. We patrolled in small teams of usually 10 to 12 men. Because we would be on patrol for four to seven days, we traveled light and wore no flak jackets or helmets. 

The night before one patrol in May 1967, Sergeant Rosas, who would lead the mission, was briefed that an NVA division had been spotted approximately 20 miles southwest of Da Nang in an area we called Charlie Ridge. Our probability of enemy contact was high—Charlie Ridge was a staging area for the NVA to harass Marine units.

Michael Lee Hazelton

Michael was a member of Marine Recruit Platoon 145 - The Arizona Platoon - that went through boot camp at MCRD San Diego in 1965. Served with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion in Viet Nam. Discharged at the rank of Sergeant on June 30, 1968.

Message from Michael's Son

My name is: Shawn R Hazelton 

Email: Shawnrobert032@gmail.com 
Subject: Michael Lee Hazelton
Message: My father is Michael Lee Hazelton, and he passed away when I was 12 all I can find out about him is he served in Vietnam with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Does anyone remember him and can email me what they remember cause I would like to know more about my dad. Thank you.

Larry Feldman

Honor Wall

In Remembrance of our fallen brothers

1st Recon Battalion Association

1 OF 4 PARTS

Charles L. Gillespie III

HM3 Steve "Doc" Lakernick

Allentown, Pennsylvania


1948 - 2019

Doc at the 2018 Reunion in Colorado Springs

Donna and Doc at Disney World

In Remembrance of our fallen brothers

Col Herbert Richard “Dick” Oxnam

Gunnery Sergeant Jimmie E. Howard

The Marine Corps Medal of Honor Recipients

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Platoon Leader, Company "C", First Reconnaissance Battalion, First Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, in action against communist insurgent forces in Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 16 June 1966. During the night Gunnery Sergeant(then Staff Sergeant) Howard's platoon of eighteen men was assaulted by a numerically superior force consisting of a well-trained North Vietnamese Battalion employing heavy small arms fire, automatic weapons and accurate mortar fire. Without hesitation he immediately organized his platoon to personally supervise the precarious defense of Hill 488. Utterly oblivious to the unrelenting fury of hostile enemy weapons fire and hand grenades he repeateldly exposed himself to enemy fire while directing the operation of his small force. As the enemy attack progressed and the enemy fire increased in volume and accuracy and despite his mounting casualties, Gunnery Sergeant Howard continued to set an example of calmness and courage. Moving from position to position, he inspired his men with dynamic leadership and courageous fighting spirit until he was struck and painfully wounded by fragments from an enemy hand grenade. Unable to move his legs and realizing the the position was becoming untenable, he distributed his ammunition to the remaining members of his platoon and skillfully directed friendly aircraft and artillery strikes with uncanny accuracy upon the enemy. Dawn found the beleaguered force diminished by five killed and all but one wounded. When rescue helicopters proceeded to Gunnery Sergeant's position, he directed them away from his badly mauled force and called additional air strikes and directed devastating small arms fire on the enemy thus making the landing zone secure as possible. His valiant leadership and courageous fighting spirit served to inspire the men of his platoon to heroic endeavor in the face of overwhelming odds, and reflected the highest credit upon Gunnery Sergeant Howard, the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Lyndon B. Johnson
President of the United States

From April until June 1966, SSgt Howard served as a platoon leader, with Company C, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. For wounds received in action against insurgent Communist forces in Vietnam on 16 June 1966, he received a gold star in lieu of a third Purple Heart.

Jimmie Howard was a native of Burlington, Iowa but at the time of his death he was residing in San Diego, California.

Phillip Elwell Prince

USMC Major Retired

Remember you are not forgotten while I am still on patrol.

It is with profound sorrow that the family of Phillip (Phil) Prince announce his passing on February 1, 2016. Phil, born May 6, 1939, had a long and illustrious career as a United States Marine. He retired with the rank of Major as a highly decorated combat veteran. Those left to mourn his passing include his beloved wife Shawn, daughters, Debbie, Kati and Lea, son Anthony, extended family and many friends. We wish Phil "fair winds and following seas". Semper Fidelis.

Awards Received

Silver Star
Vietnam War

Silver Star Vietnam War
Service:United States Marine Corps

Rank: Second Lieutenant [then Sergeant]

Division: III Marine Amphibious Force

Action Date: May 11, 1967

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant [then Sergeant] Phillip E. Prince (MCSN: 1531289), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as the Senior Advisor/Marine Squad Leader of Combined Action Platoon P2 and 4, III Marine Amphibious Force in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. Early on the morning of 11 May 1967, Second Lieutenant Prince was located with his unit in Trieu Ai Village in Quang Tri Province when the friendly force came under an intense attack from a reinforced company-size North Vietnamese Army unit with attached sappers. Reacting instantly, Second Lieutenant Prince quickly rallied his small force, which consisted of two Marine rifle squads and twenty Vietnamese Popular Forces soldiers, and fearlessly directed them as they defended their compound against the attackers. With complete disregard for his own safety, Second Lieutenant Prince repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire as he rushed across the fire-swept terrain from one position to another, simultaneously directing the fire of his men and Marine supporting arms from the Dong Ha Combat Base, and assisting to extinguish fires ignited within the compound by enemy ordnance. When the ammunition storage bunker caught fire and the remaining ammunition within the compound was threatened, Second Lieutenant Prince leaped on top of the bunker and further exposed himself to enemy fire as he daringly battled the blaze until he brought it under control, thereby saving his unit’s major source of ammunition. Although the enemy made several attacks against the perimeter during the one hour fire fight, the defense held and the enemy force was repulsed. Determined to exploit any advantage gained by forcing the enemy to withdraw, Second Lieutenant Prince then organized a reaction force and led it out of his compound to secure the area outside the defensive perimeter and to clear a landing zone for medical evacuation helicopters. His heroic and timely actions inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in defeating the hostile force. By his courage, aggressive leadership and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Second Lieutenant Prince upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.

Robert Jay Todd

February 22, 1949 - April 28, 2010

William R. "Bill" Smith

Samuel J “Jerry” Keker

Donald N McKeon Sr

USMC Colonel Retired

Former Battalion Commander

1966 - 1967

Bill passed away Monday, June 6th, 2016. He will be greatly missed by his family & friends and all his Recon Buddies from the 1st Recon Battalion Association. We give thanks for Bill's life.

Jerry died peacefully on February 7, 2015, in Denver, Colorado, from complications of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Jerry was born September 12, 1948, in Dayton, Ohio, to Sam and Lucy Keker. He grew up outside Washington, D.C., where he was a Boy Scout, basketball player, and lover of nature. As a boy, he terrified his family by keeping a zoo of amphibians and reptiles in the basement of the family home. After high school, Jerry enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1967, served in Vietnam as a Reconnaissance Marine in Bravo Company, trained in sky diving, underwater demolition and counterinsurgency warfare. He was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds he received in combat.

Donald N. McKeon of Berlin, NJ, a career Marine Corps infantry officer, died on July 19. Colonel McKeon was born in West New York, NJ, and grew up in nearby North Bergen. Toward the end of World War II, he enlisted in the US Navy at the age of seventeen and served as a fire controlman on the USS Macon. He graduated in 1950 from Manhattan College, was commissioned the same year as a Marine second lieutenant, and in 1951 married Elaine Ryan. Colonel McKeon was in the US military for twenty-eight years altogether. 

From 1951 to 1963, he served on Okinawa, at Quantico, and at Camp Lejeune and for three years at the Marine Corps recruiting station in Hartford, CT. In 1961, he led a company of Marines in President Kennedy's inauguration parade. From 1963 to 1966, he was an NROTC instructor at the College of the Holy Cross. In 1966 and 1967, he commanded the First Reconnaissance Battalion in Vietnam, for which he was awarded the Legion of Merit with "V" for valor. In 1968, the Marine Corps sent him to the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, where he earned a master's degree. From 1969 to 1971, he served at the US Southern Command's headquarters in the Panama Canal Zone. He ended his Marine Corps career as head of the personnel procurement branch in 1974, when he received the Meritorious Service medal. He later was a JROTC instructor at West Deptford (NJ) High School for three years and served ten years in the personnel department of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. For most of his life, Colonel McKeon was a highly competitive athlete, enjoying handball, racquetball, basketball, golf, and—with his children, their friends, and later his grandchildren—stickball and touch football. He enjoyed sharing his dry Irish wit and was often accompanied by a dog. He is survived by Elaine, their five children (Don McKeon Jr. [Susan Cohen] of Arlington, VA; Susan Morris [Jake Morris] of The Villages, FL; Christina McKeon [Vince Salandra] of Haddon Heights, NJ; Lt. Col. Brian McKeon, USMC [Ret.], of Carlsbad, CA; and Kathleen Fecile [John Fecile] of Garnet Valley, PA), thirteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held on August 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the Costantino Funeral Home, 231 W. White Horse Pike and Arlington Avenue, Berlin, NJ. Memorial service 4:00PM. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

Patrick Michael Kerivan "Pat"

Huntington Beach, California


1st Recon Battalion

Bravo Company 1969-1970

Rod Downie & Pat Kerivan 1969

Rod Downie & Pat Kerivan 2007

Stephen John McInerny

TO LISTEN

Sgt. Johnson and L/Cpl Herrera, KIA - RIP

Alpha Company 1968 - 1969

When Nora McInerny’s dad died, she lost his stories. Like those from his time as a Recon Marine in Vietnam. So Nora decides to look up some of the men he served with, and discovers one day in 1968 that forever shaped a group of boys into the mercurial, complicated men they would become.

Frederick John Vogel

Crossing a stream somewhere in the wilderness

Email from: 

Frederick John VOGEL <vogelfj@hotmail.com> Re: Alpha Company, 1st Recon

To  Floyd

Floyd, I'm still alive (barely) and all my info is correct

Attaching a couple pictures for the site:

1st Extract LZ, but shot out and running gun battle to follow - no casualties
2nd Crossing a stream somewhere in the wilderness
3rd Sgt. Lucas, extract from Charlie Ridge
4th Sgt. Johnson and L/Cpl Herrera, KIA - RIP

Fred Vogel
Alpha Co, 1st Recon Bn 1968

Sergeant Larry Allen Johnson was a member of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division who was killed in action in Vietnam on September 20, 1968. Johnson was a field radio operator and was mortally wounded while carrying a fallen comrade to a helicopter. His actions were described as heroic and inspirational, and he was recognized for upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps.

Silver Star

Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Sergeant Larry Allen Johnson (MCSN: 2232731), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Company A, First Reconnaissance Battalion, FIRST Marine Division (Rein.), FMF, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the afternoon of 20 September 1968, Sergeant Johnson was the Assistant Patrol Leader of a reconnaissance team operating near Thoung Duc in Quang Nam Province when the Marines came under a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire from a large enemy force and sustained several casualties. Reacting instantly, Sergeant Johnson boldly ran across fifteen meters of fire-swept terrain to the side of a wounded radioman where he took the radio and simultaneously administered first aid while he accurately directed air strikes upon the hostile soldiers, which disorganized their attack. Continuing his determined efforts, he skillfully directed helicopters into a landing zone to extract the beleaguered Marines and assisted in evacuating casualties. Alertly observing a fatally wounded Marine, he delayed his own extraction further while he maneuvered across the hazardous area to the casualty. Ignoring the intense enemy fire, he then carried his fallen comrade to a waiting helicopter and, while placing him aboard, Sergeant Johnson was mortally wounded. His heroic actions and sincere concern for the welfare of his comrades were an inspiration to all who observed him and contributed immeasurably to the accomplishment of his unit's mission. By his courage, resolute determination and steadfast devotion to duty, Sergeant Johnson upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Action Date: September 20, 1968