Page 66 - Images: We were...We are

Frank Kenneth Bush - NOTES FROM THE VIRTUAL WALL

When the 26th Marines were withdrawn from Vietnam in March 1970 Lance
Corporal Bush apparently was reassigned to Lima 3/7 Marines. On the evening of
14 May 1970 Lima 3/7 was in a night defensive position when it was hit with heavy
small arms and mortar fire. The Marines responded with organic and supporting
artillery fire and called for medevac. When the medevac helicopter arrived it too
received heavy fire, whereupon the crew engaged the enemy and called in an aerial
forward controller. By 2100 the enemy fire had been stopped and Lima 3/7 patrols
swept the area, finding extensive evidence of enemy casualties but no bodies.

The attack on Lima 3/7's NDP cost the life of one Marine - Lance Corporal Frank
Bush.

I last saw Frank early in May of 1970 after I was attached to the First Medical
Battalion in DaNang. He was due to return to the states because of an allergy. On
or about the 13th of May Frank received permission from the NSA Hospital in
DaNang to return to his unit to pick up his gear and say so long to friends. Deciding
to stay the night Frank accompanied his squad as point man.

Upon realizing they had walked into an ambush, and with little regard to his own
safety, Frank sprung the ambush without hesitation to warn the rest of the squad.
He was cut down by automatic rifle fire and became the squad's only casualty.

I learned of Frank's death on Dec. 15th 1979. On the 19th of December - my
birthday - the Baltimore Sun ran a story about our friendship. To me the word hero
is sometimes misused, but Frank's actions that night defines the word to its fullest.
He lives in the hearts of his friends forever.

- Doc Lerp -

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