28 Jul 2000 I last saw Frank early in May of 1970 after I was attached to the First Medical Battalion in DaNang. He was due to return to the states because of an allergy. On or about the 13th of May Frank received permission from the NSA Hospital in DaNang to return to his unit to pick up his gear and say so long to friends. Deciding to stay the night Frank accompanied his squad as point man. Upon realizing they had walked into an ambush, and with little regard to his own safety, Frank sprung the ambush without hesitation to warn the rest of the squad. He was cut down by automatic rifle fire and became the squad's only casualty. I learned of Frank's death on Dec. 15th 1979. On the 19th of December - my birthday - the Baltimore Sun ran a story about our friendship. To me the word hero is sometimes misused, but Frank's actions that night defines the word to its fullest. He lives in the hearts of his friends forever. - Doc Lerp - One of the last photographs of Frank with our platoon (2nd Golf 2.26) taken on our last op near the Hai Van Pass early in January 1970. Frank (center) leaving the USS New Orleans Oct. 69 with Ron Bauer (right), Doc Lerp (left) Frank rests in the National Cemetery Annex in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall When the 26th Marines were withdrawn from Vietnam in March 1970 Lance Corporal Bush apparently was reassigned to Lima 3/7 Marines. On the evening of 14 May 1970 Lima 3/7 was in a night defensive position when it was hit with heavy small arms and mortar fire. The Marines responded with organic and supporting artillery fire and called for medevac. When the medevac helicopter arrived it too received heavy fire, whereupon the crew engaged the enemy and called in an aerial forward controller. By 2100 the enemy fire had been stopped and Lima 3/7 patrols swept the area, finding extensive evidence of enemy casualties but no bodies. The attack on Lima 3/7's NDP cost the life of one Marine - Lance Corporal Frank Bush.

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