15 Aug 1999 My brother and William Kirby Gardella died together in Quang Nam Province in South Vietnam. They were two courageous boys who gave all for their country. From his sister, M J Correa marmar2@optonline.net

 

06 Jul 2006 Tio, I never got to know you and I wish I had. Your death was so painful to our family that we never recovered. Even your sisters' children feel the pain. Please know that we all love you and miss you so much. I am very proud of you. Semper-Fi Tio. See you eventually. - Peter - From his nephew, Peter L Gonzalez, Cpl USMC plgonzalez@gmail.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Corporal Luis Correa was a member of Recon Team CABARET, 2nd Plt, C Company, 1st Recon Bn. The 1st Recon Command Chronology for June 1967 contains the Operations Order and post-patrol report for the CABERET patrol on which Cpl Correa was fatally wounded. The patrol was scheduled for insertion from LZ FINCH at 130700H with extraction scheduled for 161600H. The patrol leader was a Staff Sergeant Newton and the team's mission was "to detect VC movement or possible arms infiltration thru Quan Duo Duc and the Song Gia River Valley areas in support of the 7th Mar[ines]." The ten-man team was inserted as scheduled by CH-46 helicopter at grid location AT794518. Over the next two days the patrol had 7 sightings and called in 5 artillery fire missions against enemy forces. On the 16th the patrol was attacked: "161450H [2:50 pm, 16 Jun] AT801526 [grid location] - Patrol received 2 grenades, small arms, and automatic weapons fire from 20 meters to the southeast. 1 USMC WIA (serious medevac); patrol returned fire and called artillery, results unknown. Air strike called with unknown results. Patrol extracted with medevac; Corpsman used mouth-to-mouth respiration possibly saving the injured Marine's life." On 25 June Corporal Correa died from his wounds. Ms. Correa mentions Corporal William K. Gardella of Company "A", 3rd AMTRAC Battalion. The 3rd AMTRAC Bn's Situation Report #285 for 25 Jun 1967 contains the following entry: "(LATE ENTRY) At 241430H Jun [2:30 pm, 24 Jun], at coord AT814557 an LVT in support of 3/7 [3rd Battalion, 7th Marines] detonated a mine approx 200 pounds. Vehicle totally destroyed by fire. Two (2) USMC WIA (evacuated) and one (1) KIA." Cpl Gardella's casualty record indicates he died on 25 June. Although Cpl Gardella was injured less than a mile from where Cpl Correa had been wounded on the 16th, the two incidents were entirely separate. A third Marine died in Quang Nam Province on 25 Jun; LCpl Rufus T. Williams of Houston, Texas, assigned to Echo 2/1 Marines, was killed by sniper fire.

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