What the 2^nd day of May means to me. It is always a sad day because on this day – May 2, 1970, the 2^nd Battalion 34^th Armor lost 5 men to combat actions. On that day the 34^th Armor Battalion lost Sgt. David William Barnett, Sp4 Rodney Lynn Griffin, Ssg. Bunyan Durant Price, Maj, Dale Wayne Richardson, and Cpt. Robert Milton Young. It was the Battalion’s second highest causality date and I remember seeing all of these men that on that day.

May 2, 1970 was day the 2/34th Armor Battalion lost Sgt. David William Barnett - Tank Commander of B-23. He was killed while atop his tank shortly before noon. His tank was leading a 4-vehicle column consisting of his M48 tank, 1 M106 Mortar track, an AVLB bridge tank from the 65th Engineers, and followed 1 more M106 mortar track. The total number of men in the column numbered just 17 men, The mission to get the AVLB, the tank, and the mortar tracks linked up with mixed elements of 2/34th Armor and 2/47th Mech. Infantry already in Cambodia. "Barney's" crew consisted of Greg Green, Tony Paolisso, and James Payne, with 2/34th HQ Mortars Plt. Sgt. William E. Bercaw riding on top with "Barney" as the column commander. The tank was also carrying a VN interpreter/scout behind the bustle rack, who stood next to Paolisso - who was watching his TC’s back.

After leaving Prek Lok RVN and prior to joining the larger US forces in Cambodia the little column four vehicles was ambushed by a vastly superior enemy force. Sgt. Barnett was hit and immediately fell into the interior of the M48. Plt. Sgt. Bercaw was also wounded at that time but stayed on top the tank and assisted Paolisso into the tank. He then directed the tank's driver - James Payne - to follow the trail forward towards the US forces far away in Cambodia. We began running a "gauntlet" of RPGs, heavy machine guns, and automatic weapons fire. The VN interpreter/scout had dismounted the tank at the onset of the ambush, as there was no room for him in the tank. He ran back to the following 2/34th mortar track. The tanks crew began sending out round after round of canister as soon as Paolisso joined Green at the cannon in the interior of the tank.

The next vehicle in line picked up the dismounted VN scout, pausing only long enough to get the scout up the rear ladder steps into the 3 door hatch of the mortar track. That mortar track crew consisted of Raymond Zelazny (driver), Thomas Brighton (gunner), myself (platoon medic), and Edward Athey (TC). Only two 65th Engineers - a driver and gunner, who we really did not know, manned the AVLB. The 2/34th mortar track bring up the rear was manned by Gary Griffin (driver), William Timmons, Anthony Tamburelli, Richard Van Wagner, and Donald Sheldon.

Each vehicle in the column put out round after round alongside both sides of the long and winding trail. The little column saved itself only by reaching the perimeter of larger US forces, as no supportive artillery fire, gun ships, or other organic was sent their way due to skirmishes occurring at the same time along the larger forces perimeter. We were lucky to get there before running out of canister rounds and rounds for our big machine guns and M16 rifles. When we reach the safety of the perimeter of the 2/34th Armor and 2/47th Mech's position, I went to the B-23 tank to see to about the condition of Sgt. Barnett and Plt. Sgt Bercaw. Bercaw was visibly peppered with multiple wounds, but still upright and on the rear deck of the tank. He sent me into the tank to check on Barnett’s status, who I found on the floor of the tank’s interior decking. It was very apparent that he had died immediately at the start of the ambush. A 2/47^th joined me at the tank’s hatch asking if I need any help. I asked him to get a stretcher for Sgt. Barnett and to let up out to see to Plt. Sgt. Bercaw. Plt. Sgt. Bercaw had multiple wounds about the head , eyes, face, chest and abdomen, and even his legs. He was bandaged and I then checked the other members of the column for injuries. Except for hearing loss from the tank gunners and drivers, no one else was wound. All of the injured were evacuated shortly thereafter, including the body of Sgt. David W. Smith of B Company, 2/47^th would was killed in an unrelated event earlier that morning. For Plt. Sgt William E. Bercaw’s actions of leadership and fighting during the running battle along the gauntlet’s jungle corridor he would later receive the DSC, one of DSC two awards made to members of the 34^th Armor Battalion during the Vietnam War.

Later in the day of May 2, 1970 it would continue to be a bad day for other men of the Battalion and for men of the 229^th Aviation Battalion. Men from the 2/34th Armor and the air crew of a 1st Cavalry UH1H helicopter, from B Company, 229th Aviation were flying into the 2/34^th Armor and 2/47^th Mech’s perimeter in Cambodia where the ambushed column lead by Plt. Sgt. Bercaw had went to. After stopping that perimeter, I remember seeing Rodney Griffin and the others moving about the helicopter. After leaving our location, the helicopter was hit by fire from the ground below and was forced to make an emergency landing. All accounts I have found state that the chopper made it just inside the Vietnam border. The flight crew of the 229^th Aviation and the 2/34th Armor men made it to ground from all accounts but only one man from the helicopter made an effective escape. He was named Sp4 Tommy Karreci, and he returned to US control in a couple of days later after hiding and getting away from the crash site.

All of the 2.34^th Armor Battalion men in the chopper were never be seen alive again. They were listed as MIA or POW for many years. According to the accounts I have researched, Cpt. Robert M. Young was reported dying in captivity as a POW. Ssg. Bunyan D. Price, Sp4 Rodney L. Griffin and Cpt. Dale W. Richardson of the 34^th Armor were never heard of again, as well as WO1 Michael Varnado of the 229^th.

Two men of the 229^th Aviation Battalion were released in 1973. They were Sp4 Fredrick H. Crowson and CW2 Daniel F. Maslowski.

I hope you will honor all of the men lost that day, all the men lost to us on all the other days of the Vietnam War, and to celebrate the all memories (good and bad) we have of those men we fought alongside with. The soldiers from a prior war had a saying that I am only now becoming to learn and to understand. They said, "Lest We Forget" back then, now I think I understand what they meant.