Remembering Gary D. Thaden on His Birthday -- KIA Vietnam July 4, 1970

Today would be the 66^th birthday of Gary D. Thaden, one of the men whose story is told in my book, Died on the Fourth of July. Specialist Four Thaden, from Brighton, Colorado, was 21 when he was killed in action on July 4, 1970, during the battle for Fire Support Base Ripcord. Some of his friends and fellow soldiers have posted their memories of him at http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/51485/GARY-D-THADEN

Specialist Thaden is buried at the Elmwood Cemetery in Brighton. Following is an excerpt from the book, telling the story of Specialist Thaden and four others who died with him:

The last major battle between U.S. and NVA forces took place from March through July 1970 at Fire Support Base Ripcord in the A Shau Valley. Over a period of four and one-half months, 248 Americans were killed, three were awarded the Medal of Honor, and five were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Two of those killed during that time were PFC Wieland Norris, brother of actor Chuck Norris, on June 3; and First Lieutenant Bob Kalsu of the Buffalo Bills, the only active NFL player to be killed in Vietnam, on July 21.

In March of that year the 101^st Airborne Division began refurbishing the abandoned Fire Support Base Ripcord in advance of an offensive to disrupt NVA supply bases. From March through June the NVA harassed the base with sporadic attacks and then launched a full-scale offensive.  The heaviest part of the battle was between July 1 and 23, during which time 75 Americans died. Outnumbered by as much as ten to one, U.S. forces withdrew from the base by air, followed by carpet bombing of the base by B-52s.

Five Americans died on the Fourth of July during the battle for Fire Support Base Ripcord, all of them in the same incident. A platoon on patrol on Hill 902 walked into a large booby trap explosive. Killed were:

·         1LT William Sullivan, 27, Denver, Colorado

·         PFC Carl Mickens, 26, Belleville, New Jersey

·         SP4 Jimmie Robinson, 21, Mobile, Alabama

·         SP4 Gary D. Thaden, 21, Brighton, Colorado

·         SP4 William C. Ray, 21, De Mossville, Kentucky

Lieutenant Sullivan and Sergeant Ray each had a wife back home, but neither of them had children. Four of the men were from Company C, 2^nd Battalion, 501^st Infantry. The fifth, Sergeant William C. Ray, was a member of the 58^th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon. His scout dog, Fritz, suffered minor shrapnel wounds.

An estimated 4,000 scout dogs were used in Vietnam. Some walked ahead of their handlers on the alert for ambushes or booby traps. Others were sentry dogs that guarded bases, trackers that followed the trail of enemy troops, and mine and booby trap dogs who sniffed out danger.