Jimmy Earl Darby
Private First Class
B CO, 4TH BN, 503RD INFANTRY, 173RD ABN BDE, USARV
Army of the United States
Opp, Alabama
August 21, 1948 to July 10, 1967
JIMMY E DARBY is on the Wall at Panel 23E, Line 41

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26 Jul 2008

About my brave brother Jimmy Darby

My brother was in the 173d Airborne Brigade. He entered the Army as a very young and brave soldier March 06, 1967 and died July 10, 1967. He was very special and everyone who knew him loved him. He came from a small town called Opp, Alabama. Jimmy was my brother, my father was killed in 1965 and Jimmy became the man of the house and did an excellent job. All his friends called him by his nickname "Fish" because he loved to swim.

He is my hero, and my sister and I love and miss him so much. I hope one day I will be able to find other soldiers who served with him in Vietnam. I named my son after Jimmy and I hope and pray he will be an honest and brave man just like his uncle Jimmy Darby.

Jimmy will never be forgotten, and all the soldiers who fought for our freedom will also be remembered. I will love and miss you forever, my dear brother.

Your brother Earl and sister Glenda
We love you and miss you

From his brother,
Earl Mccormick
506 Third Street, Opp, Al 36467
sweet_passion39@yahoo.com


 

A Note from The Virtual Wall

The 4/503rd was rapidly deployed to the Central Highlands after the Battle of the Slopes. On 10 July, moving up Hill 830, A Company came under intense fire from an entrenched Viet Cong main force battalion. On 12 July, after taking the hill, D Company discovered a single network consisting of 60 bunkers with supporting foxholes. In short order, two more bunker complexes were discovered.

Twenty-five US soldiers died in the fighting on 10 July:

  • B Btry, 3rd Bn, 319th Artillery (F/O team with 4/503)
    • 1LT Arthur C. Retzlaff, Westfield, NJ
    • SGT Kenneth L. Brown, Sheridan, WY
    • PFC Michael S. Mitchell, Richmond, CA

  • A Co, 4th Bn, 503rd Infantry
  • B Co, 4th Bn, 503rd Infantry
    • SFC William A. Scott, Magnolia, NJ
    • SGT David P. Crozier, Baltimore, MD
    • SGT Jesus M. Torres, New York, NY
    • SP4 Larry A. Doring, Mankato, MN
    • CPL Frazier D. Huggins, Seffner, FL
    • PFC Jimmy E. Darby, Opp, AL
    • PFC James Fabrizio, Norwalk, CT
    • PFC Malton G. Shores, Clarksville, AR
    • PFC Harry D. Spier, Tyler, TX

  • HHC, 4th Bn, 503rd Infantry
    • MAJ Walter D. Williams, Glyndon, MD
    • SGT Siegfried Kofler, Ventura, CA
    • CPL Joel M. Sabel, West Covina, CA (Dist Svc Cross)
Many others were wounded in the engagement. On 15 Feb 1973, almost five years later, SP4 Peter G. Lechnir of Milwaukee, Wisconsin died from wounds he received on Hill 830 while serving with Bravo 4/503. He was overlooked when the Wall was constructed, and his name was not added until November 1991.

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