Danny Ledford USMC KIA - 1968

[gew98]

A dear friend had two older brothers. Danny KIA vietnam 1968. His other older brother retired in 1977 after 31 years active 82nd ABN & Green beret ( passed away 8 yrs ago ). My friend retired 21 yrs RA was talked into going 82nd by his oldest brother Lonnie in 1970 when he joined. His brother Lonnie new the 82nd was not going back to Nam... which in hindsight my buddy Don said likely saved his life as he was young and dumb enough to think he could go to vietnam and exact some revenge for Danny.

[GP100man]

Thank You for remembering our fallen & those that served , most of all your friend !!!

Thank You for reminding us that there was/is heros among us !!!

42 views Hhmmm ??

[gew98]

Sad thing about Danny was he came home about a month before he was wounded feb 1st escorting the body of a friend KIA. He had his right ear bullet holed 1st february 1968. The day he got off the hospital ship he went back in the field 1st March 1968 he opened a gate to walk through and was killed by a booby trap. RIP.
The oldest brother Lonnie had always told "bubba" ( that's what don goes by ) do not go USMC as he had witnessed in vietnam the marines move to action to take a hill , ridgeline etc etc and as he was GB and tasked with support as he new those areas, they ( marines ) did no artillery or air to soften up the enemy he knew was there and in droves and dug in. He told don the USMC leadership he consorted with on those events simply said... "well ,we are told to take that and we will go and take that". Lonnie had said he witnessed marines - killed ,stacked like cordwood due to such 'foolishness' as he termed it. My uncle Jimmy serevd there in 67 as a signal corps tech... strung phone lines and repaired them , he did not see the sharp end anything like the grunts did.... but he sure saw the aftermath brought in for 'repackaging' for the final flight home.
My father got his draft notice in 1960... went right out and hoined the navy as a 'SeaBee'. Went around the world and wound up in Gitmo during the cuban missle crisis with an M1 rifle guarding the perimeter. He often later lamented that his joining the navy was supposed to keep him from such situations , joke was on him.

Oh , GP100 ..... The Ledford family is out of the Marion NC area.... still there , excepting my buddy don whom married a local and stayed not far from his last duty station at Fort Knox Ky.