1999 MRFA Reunion Notes

This is a copy of the quick notes that Ed sent to 3 of the Doctors who also served in D Company, 9th Medical Battalion.

July 7, 1999:
CogganGoforthSmolko:
9th Division/Mobile Riverine Reunion
July 4th weekend-Cincinnati:

   Thought you would like to know about my experiences at the reunion last weekend. Joyce and I departed on Thursday and missed our flight to Cincinnati and were forced to spend the night in Chicago with no luggage---not a good start. We arrived at reunion HQ about 12:30 and registered. The large banquet room was active with many groups seated around tables talking and watching TV replays of footage of the 9th in action. There were Navy as well as Army 9th Div. Vets. I was the only one in the entire 9th Med Btn who was present.

   Most of the units were Infantry---lots of 3/60th who were with us at Dong Tam as well as on the boats. 4/47th from the boats, and 2/47th, a MECH unit out of Bearcat who, although they did not operate in our area, were invited to the reunion for the first time. 2/47th had their own small banquet room which was busy for the entire time. I took back about 25 slides that I had digitized so I could display them on my laptop. Many were of you, Virgil, in that operating room tent at Dong Tam----these were a big hit as no one else had anything like them.

    I could not check into our hotel room until later in the afternoon, so we sat at a couple of the tables and that's when the stories began. Unbelievable personal stories at every table mostly given by those who were very seriously wounded. The tables usually had guys from the same Infantry companies---30+ years later these guys were still very close. Before I knew it , I looked at my watch and it was 5:30. The stories were absolutely spellbinding and very emotional to listen to. One guy lost his eye and ear while hitching a ride on a laundry truck from My Tho to Dong Tam that hit a command detonated mine. How many times have we all been on that road…..

   A most sensational story came from a point man with 4/47th (Virgil, this is the BTN that got chewed up the time you got your medal). Out of 20 in the platoon 18 were dead and wounded ----this guy almost bled to death with shrapnel and bullet wounds----his life was saved that afternoon at the 3rd Surg in Dong Tam. He recovered and at the end of the story pointed out his 2 grandchildren near the pool area of the hotel. Wow….

    I sat at the banquet Sat. night with the S3 and S4 officers of the 4/47th who participated in the battle you were involved in. They stated that that operation is documented in a book by an Army physician called "365 days". I also met a medic with the 4/47 who was caught in the ambush but survived. A very religious man it seemed---he stated that he was a "non combatant" in the war---probably a Quaker. He spent all Saturday afternoon sitting with his Infantry company.

    Noted that 2 groups I sat with (3/60th and 4/47th) both had their medics at the table with them. Groups like this seemed to stay together the entire 2 days I was there. Likewise the Navy guys----from the Benewah and Colleton.

    Night was the big banquet. There must have been close to 1800 present. I sat with the officers from the 4/47 mentioned earlier. We had 6 speakers including a Navy Admiral and Army 2 star who were vets of the Riverine. My overall observation was that I was not totally aware of how very bad the 9th Division got their ass kicked in the Dong Tam/Riverine operation. The group had an unusually high casualty rate. There were 2 medal of honor winners present from those operations.

  One speaker asked all purple heart winners present to stand and 70% of the room stood!. Then it went 2,3,4,5,6,7 ----there were still several standing with 7 purple hearts. "Moving Wall" was brought in for the reunion and a memorial service held Sunday AM that we could not attend due to an early flight. was a great experience for Joyce and I and we want to make plans to attend the next one in 2 years. It was good to part of such a healing process for so many.

Best to you all, Ed Thornton

Ed can be reached at   Ed.Thornton@rebis.com