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Dillard Massengale
Dillard Massengale, served in the Vietnam War 1967- 1968 in Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, his father Elmer Massengale was a WWIl veteran and brother Donald Massengale was also a Vietnam veteran who served in the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry of the 1st Calvary Division. Dillard recieved his draft notice in October of 1966 and entered service February 1, 1967. His basic training was at Fort Benning, Georgia and AIT at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Dillard arrived in Vietnam on June 28, 1967 and was assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division or “BIG RED ONE”.
Dillard spent time at these Base Camps: Phuoc Vinh Quan Loi, and Lai Khe. He also spent time at Black Virgin Mountain, and Fire Base Whiskey. Dillard fought in battles at places like An Loc, Lock Ninh, Dian, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Iron Triangle, and An My. Dillard was awarded a Bronze Star Medal with “V” Device, for heroism, for his actions at An My on February 1, 1968 at An My. While on patrol, Dillard was severely wounded by small arms fire and shrapnel from an enemy grenade or Mortar rounds exploding nearby. The Viet Cong and NVA soldiers had ambushed their patrol during an S&D (Search and Destroy) mission. After receiving basic field medical care from his Medic, of numerous wounds to his stomach and other parts of his body, he was medevacked by helicopter using a cable hoist to extract him from the thick jungle where a Landing Zone (LZ) was not possible. While under heavy enemy fire, and while he was being hoisted from the ground to the helicopter, he was able to expend the last of his ammunition by firing his M-16 Rifle to lay down much needed fire power onto the enemy below before finally running out of ammunition and dropping his weapon to the ground as he was pulled into the helicopter and flown back to the nearest medical facility. After receiving what medical care he could get to keep him alive, he was transferred to the 106th Military Hospital in Japan, where he received much needed surgeries to patch up the wounds in his body. After a few weeks of care and convalescent in Japan, Dillard was transferred back to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for further treatment. Later, he was transferred to Fort Benning Georgia where he received another surgery, called a Colostomy, and a Laparotomy, to repair parts of his intestines which had previously been removed in Japan.
MEDALS:Bronze Star Medal w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster w/”V” Device, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm Device, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal Unit Citation, First Class AWARDS: Combat Infantryman Badge He was Honorably Discharged, on January 31, 1969.
USMC-PFC, Denny L. Washam, KIA, Vietnam
Denny L. Washam was born November 23, 1947 in Scott County, Tennessee. He was the son of Earl and Flossie (Wright) Washam. He had four brothers; Sonny, Teddy, Woody and Bobby. Five sisters; Wanda, Ann, Helen Dean and Lois.
His tour in Vietnam began September 29, 1968, he was with Co. L 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines, in the Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. On December 8, 1968 near Dong Tien hamlet the 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines, Companies I and L fought a bitter engagement against the North Vietnamese which saw PFC. Denny L. Washam and fifteen other Marines were killed in action. He was awarded the Bronze Star for saving the lives of two other Marines that day before he was fatally wounded. He also recieved the Purple Heart.
PFC. Waham was brought home to Scott County and burried in the Mill Branch Cemetery in Scott County, Tennessee.
SPEC-4, Harold Dean West US Army
Vietnam, wounded Dec. 11, 1969. Was the son of Onvey and Clara (Jeffers) West, of Robbins. West distinguished himself while on patrol December 11, 1969, while conducting a sweep around Battalion HQ’s when himself and… his Advisors came upon small arms fire. After being wounded and finding themselves pinned down, with the communication device that was with the patrol being destroyed, West, with complete disregard for his own safety ran forward approximately 150 yards to a bunker and gathered parts from three other damaged communication devices that was left in the bunker and ran back to the bunker with the Advisors and West assembled a radio out of the damaged devices. Then called in air support. This action saw 18 Viet Cong killed and 20 weapons collected and 3,000 pounds ammunition captured.