Sir/Madam:
This picture is the '05 that Joe Featherstone mentioned in his piece that you published in the last two issues of your catalog. In response to Mr. Featherstones comment on wanting to put the 12th Marine Shield on the tube has ruffled my feathers a bit…
The honor if bestowed to any outfit should be the one of the guns owners and members of the crew that survived that day… As a member of the crew on that that fateful I let it go the first time but the second time you published it I felt it was almost insulting to the crew.
Myself, Thomas Keaton and our dear and beloved friend we just lost in 2009 the late Philip Mineer were wounded that day and in the photo not the "GUN" depicts the seriousness of the damage done but with the "Great Work" of our armor the gun was only out of action that day with tires repaired the armor at the bottom of the gun (Splash Guard) was replaced it absorbed most of the blast or I as the loader would have had both legs and the possibility of Tom and Phil also loosing one or both.
The Gun was from Battery "B" 1st Battalion, 13th Marines, 5ht Marine Division, 3rd MarDiv (Rein)… At the time we were attached to Battery "C" 13th Marines as replacements for one of the guns that was sent to the Hill's (881N or 881S). Further note yes the 5th Marine Division was represented in Viet Nam and spent most of the time in the Northern I corps… Battery "B" was also at Khe Sanh and Con Thien in spring of 67'. We were in Both battles that rate among the top 5in length of Marine Corps history.
Respectfully Submitted
Jerry Williams
"Semper Fi" It isn't a saying "It's a way of 'Life'"
Note: Battery "B" also had one or Two guns that were on Iwo Jima in WWII that were also at Khe Sanh