Roger Theodore Fast

Private First Class
D CO, 2ND BN, 8TH CAV RGT, 1 CAV DIV
Army of the United States
14 January 1948 - 19 August 1968
Butterfield, MN
Panel 48W Line 054

1 CAV DIV

8TH CAV RGT
Combat Infantry

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Roger Theodore Fast

"Angry Skipper" D 2/8 Cavalry, 1st Air Cav

On the morning of August 19th, 1968 word was spread around the perimeter of Landing Zone Carol, we would "Charlie Alpha" [i.e., run a combat assault into] a new area of operation, liftoff 1200 hours. Roger Fast was one of my new "Cherries". He had been with us exactly four days (the entire four days we were on LZ Carol) and had never been in the bush yet. At around 0800 hours I sent Roger and another "Cherry" out on O.P. (observation post) duty. The O.P. was just a few sandbags and ammo boxes in a horseshoe shape with several claymore mine detonators and a couple M72 L.A.W.s and a radio. It was located down the mountain about 40 yards. It wasn't ten minutes after the two Cherries got to the O.P. when the first of several artillery rounds from NVA positions across the border in Laos hit. The first round landed about three feet behind the O.P. where the horseshoe was open and offered no protection. Roger was between the high explosive round and the other trooper. He took the blunt of the explosion and died within minutes. What is really difficult for me was that Roger and the other trooper had volunteered to take my place and that of my assistant gunner so that they could be together in solitude before their first venture into the jungle. He took my hit.

Rest in Peace Brother

He is remembered on the
"Angry Skipper" Honor Roll
of the
Delta 2/8 Cav site



The point-of-contact for this memorial is
his Team Leader,
Mike "Mouse" McGhie
mmcghie@prodigy.net 
5 Mar 2003



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Channing Prothro, former CAP Marine
Last updated 03/05/2003