Douglas Alan RossSergeantHQ CO, 1ST BN, 35TH INFANTRY, 4 INF DIV Army of the United States 10 September 1948 - 22 January 1969 Temple City, California Panel 34W Line 061 |
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The database page for Douglas Alan Ross
Douglas Ross has been in my memory for 38 years ... you see, I'm the guy who had to make his paper work say 'Killed in Action'. With the stroke of my pen, I killed Douglas Ross. For several weeks from the time he was reported to 4th Division Casualty Branch on Camp Enari as missing in action until I killed him six weeks later, my office received several letters from his mother, Margaret Ross. The letters were harrowing, filled with a mother's anguish - 'Please find my son', 'I'm under a doctor's care, please give me information'. I can still close my eyes and see Margaret's perfect penmanship. The letters made me feel helpless for this dear mother, and I still ache for her today. I was pleased to read on the internet that Douglas had been located and returned home. My heartfelt sympathies go out to Margaret and the rest of his family. I would welcome correspondence from the family.
Thomas H. Williams III |
A Note from The Virtual WallChu Pa Mountain (aka Hill 1485) in Pleiku Province is located about 16km due west of Plei Mrong and 36km southwest of Kontum City. Used by the NVA and VC as a staging area, Chu Pa was subjected to an assault on 21-23 Jan 1969 by Alpha and Delta Companies of the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry. The Battalion's Executive Officer, Major Jerry P. Laird, accompanied Alpha Company.The assault was bitterly opposed from the beginning, with Delta 1/35 losing two men on 21 Jan. On the 22nd, as Alpha attempted a link-up with Delta, Major Laird and one of his radiomen, Sp4 Douglas Ross, were among a group of soldiers pinned down about 40 meters outside the Delta perimeter. Under heavy small arms and grenade attack, the group was forced to seek cover in caves where the survivors spent the night. Alpha company lost three men, Delta two, and both Major Laird and SP4 Ross were killed. On the morning of the 23rd searchers located those men whose bodies had not been recovered on the 22nd - except for SP4 Ross, who could not be found. Although the Battalion avoided any further deaths on the ground, a medevac helicopter (UH-1H 66-16217) from the 283rd Medical Detachment was hit by a B-40 rocket while about 50' above the ground, crashed, and burned, killing four aircrewmen and three previously wounded soldiers. Overall, 16 Americans had been killed in the actions on 21-23 January:
The remains of Sergeant Douglas Ross, who had received a posthumous promotion, were repatriated twenty-eight years later, on 29 Sep 1997, with positive identification on 18 Feb 1998. Sergeant Ross was buried on 27 March 1998 in Site 1451, Section 1A, Los Angeles National Cemetery. (SGT Ross is in the PMSEA database.)
One further note - The POW Network site has biographies for
SFC Henderson
,
SSG Luster
,
and
SSG Moorman.
In each case the POW Network suggests the three men were associated with the seach for
PFC Robert F. Scherdin
,
a Special Forces trooper who went missing in action on 29 December 1968. However, there is no association between Scherdin and the three men whose unidentifiable remains were recovered from the wreckage of UH-1H 66-16217.
Remembered by his fellow soldiers of the
Photo courtesy of the 35th Infantry Assn |
The point-of-contact for this memorial is a comrade-in-arms, Thomas H. Williams III 312 Sweet Birch Lane, Rochester, Ny 14615 busterdawg47@yahoo.com |
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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 16 Sep 2007
Last updated 09/18/2007