Page 113 - Images: We were...We are

John Lewis Krol - NOTES FROM THE VIRTUAL WALL

On 19 Sep 1968 sixteen men from 2/7 Marines were killed in action north of the La
Tho River in what was known as the "Dodge City" sector north of the Go Noi Island
area:

x E Co, 2nd Bn, 7th Marines, 1st Mardiv, 3rd MAF
o Cpl Joseph P. Lopez, Denver, CO (Silver Star)

x F Co, 2nd Bn, 7th Marines, 1st Mardiv, 3rd MAF
o Cpl Thomas J. Cavanaugh, Waterbury, CT (Navy Cross)
o Pfc Michael A. Figueroa, East Springfield, PA
o Pfc James D. Kelley, Greeneville, TN
o LCpl Mark A. Knollmeyer, Seattle, WA
o LCpl John L. Krol, New York, NY
o Pfc Peter D. Matarazzo, Rochester, NY
o Pfc Terrence Moran, New York, NY
o Pfc Gary E. Noles, East Wahneta, FL
o Pvt Francis S. Rhoades, Elmer, NJ
o LCpl Roy W. Rich, Wartrace, TN
o LCpl Pedro S. Rodriquez, Waco, TX
o Cpl Edgar A. Smith, Mount Vernon, NY
o Pfc Mark L. Triplett, St Charles, IL
o LCpl Philip J. Wajda, Chicago, IL (Silver Star)

x H&S Co, 2nd Bn, 7th Marines, 1st Mardiv, 3rd MAF
o Sgt Raymond T. Conway, Miami, FL

17 May 2005

LCpl Krol and I were friends in Vietnam. We were Marines in Fox Company, 2nd
Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV. In June 1968, I met LCpl Krol in Subic Bay,
Philippines, when I joined Fox 2/7 and the Weapons Platoon. We completed
several weeks of Jungle Warfare training, boarded the USS OGDEN and headed
for SE Asia via the South China Sea. Fox 2/7 was now on the Battalion Float
Phase, and little did we know that we were sailing straight into hell.

John Krol was born in New York, New York, on March 16, 1948 and was only 20
years, 6 months old when he was killed in action. LCpl Krol had been in Vietnam
for 8 months, 13 days and had participated in numerous major combat
operations with Fox 2/7 before he was killed.

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