Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr from Redding, California lost his life at the age of 22 on March 31, 1968.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr was born on March 14, 1946 and had 2 year of service in the U.S. Navy arriving in Vietnam on March 15, 1967 assigned to Detachment Echo, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 9 (NMCB-9), 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam.
On March 31, 1968 NMCB-9 Detail Echo's job was to construct a rock crusher on the side of a hard rock mountain south of Hue, repair and maintain roads and bridges in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. The camp consisted of an inter security ring around the rock crusher, equipment shops, living quarters and mortar tubes maned at night by rotation; when their camp, located near Phu Bai, came under heavy mortar and recoilless rifle attack, the Seabees immediately manned an 81-mm mortar position and commenced and maintained counter fire despite the barrage of enemy shells landing near their position. The effective return fire destroyed at least two enemy gun positions and broke the attack. During a second attack, five hours later, the Seabees again manned their mortar position and even though they realized the enemy had bracketed their position with mortars, they stood their ground with concern for the entire camp and continued to return fire until the enemy scored two direct hits on their position. The Seabees, who gave their lives in defense of the camp, were instrumental in repelling the attack, the results of which would have been much more severe had the mortar crew abandoned their position, an action they would have been justified in taking. The Seabees were determined to defend and hold the camp which they had worked so hard to build. The 6 Seabees killed from NMCB-9's Detail Echo in the valiant effort to save the lives of their fellow Seabees and Marine personnel were BUL3 George Robert De Shurley, BUL3 Allan Leon Mair, BUL3 John Forman Peek, CMGCN James Francis Galati, BUL3 Mark Edward Hodel, and BUHCN James Robert Retzloff Jr.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr is honored on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 47E, Line 26.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr was born on March 14, 1946 and had 2 year of service in the U.S. Navy arriving in Vietnam on March 15, 1967 assigned to Detachment Echo, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 9 (NMCB-9), 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam.
On March 31, 1968 NMCB-9 Detail Echo's job was to construct a rock crusher on the side of a hard rock mountain south of Hue, repair and maintain roads and bridges in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. The camp consisted of an inter security ring around the rock crusher, equipment shops, living quarters and mortar tubes maned at night by rotation; when their camp, located near Phu Bai, came under heavy mortar and recoilless rifle attack, the Seabees immediately manned an 81-mm mortar position and commenced and maintained counter fire despite the barrage of enemy shells landing near their position. The effective return fire destroyed at least two enemy gun positions and broke the attack. During a second attack, five hours later, the Seabees again manned their mortar position and even though they realized the enemy had bracketed their position with mortars, they stood their ground with concern for the entire camp and continued to return fire until the enemy scored two direct hits on their position. The Seabees, who gave their lives in defense of the camp, were instrumental in repelling the attack, the results of which would have been much more severe had the mortar crew abandoned their position, an action they would have been justified in taking. The Seabees were determined to defend and hold the camp which they had worked so hard to build. The 6 Seabees killed from NMCB-9's Detail Echo in the valiant effort to save the lives of their fellow Seabees and Marine personnel were BUL3 George Robert De Shurley, BUL3 Allan Leon Mair, BUL3 John Forman Peek, CMGCN James Francis Galati, BUL3 Mark Edward Hodel, and BUHCN James Robert Retzloff Jr.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr is honored on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 47E, Line 26.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr from Redding, California lost his life at the age of 22 on March 31, 1968.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr was born on March 14, 1946 and had 2 year of service in the U.S. Navy arriving in Vietnam on March 15, 1967 assigned to Detachment Echo, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 9 (NMCB-9), 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam.
On March 31, 1968 NMCB-9 Detail Echo's job was to construct a rock crusher on the side of a hard rock mountain south of Hue, repair and maintain roads and bridges in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. The camp consisted of an inter security ring around the rock crusher, equipment shops, living quarters and mortar tubes maned at night by rotation; when their camp, located near Phu Bai, came under heavy mortar and recoilless rifle attack, the Seabees immediately manned an 81-mm mortar position and commenced and maintained counter fire despite the barrage of enemy shells landing near their position. The effective return fire destroyed at least two enemy gun positions and broke the attack. During a second attack, five hours later, the Seabees again manned their mortar position and even though they realized the enemy had bracketed their position with mortars, they stood their ground with concern for the entire camp and continued to return fire until the enemy scored two direct hits on their position. The Seabees, who gave their lives in defense of the camp, were instrumental in repelling the attack, the results of which would have been much more severe had the mortar crew abandoned their position, an action they would have been justified in taking. The Seabees were determined to defend and hold the camp which they had worked so hard to build. The 6 Seabees killed from NMCB-9's Detail Echo in the valiant effort to save the lives of their fellow Seabees and Marine personnel were BUL3 George Robert De Shurley, BUL3 Allan Leon Mair, BUL3 John Forman Peek, CMGCN James Francis Galati, BUL3 Mark Edward Hodel, and BUHCN James Robert Retzloff Jr.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr is honored on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 47E, Line 26.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr was born on March 14, 1946 and had 2 year of service in the U.S. Navy arriving in Vietnam on March 15, 1967 assigned to Detachment Echo, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 9 (NMCB-9), 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam.
On March 31, 1968 NMCB-9 Detail Echo's job was to construct a rock crusher on the side of a hard rock mountain south of Hue, repair and maintain roads and bridges in Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. The camp consisted of an inter security ring around the rock crusher, equipment shops, living quarters and mortar tubes maned at night by rotation; when their camp, located near Phu Bai, came under heavy mortar and recoilless rifle attack, the Seabees immediately manned an 81-mm mortar position and commenced and maintained counter fire despite the barrage of enemy shells landing near their position. The effective return fire destroyed at least two enemy gun positions and broke the attack. During a second attack, five hours later, the Seabees again manned their mortar position and even though they realized the enemy had bracketed their position with mortars, they stood their ground with concern for the entire camp and continued to return fire until the enemy scored two direct hits on their position. The Seabees, who gave their lives in defense of the camp, were instrumental in repelling the attack, the results of which would have been much more severe had the mortar crew abandoned their position, an action they would have been justified in taking. The Seabees were determined to defend and hold the camp which they had worked so hard to build. The 6 Seabees killed from NMCB-9's Detail Echo in the valiant effort to save the lives of their fellow Seabees and Marine personnel were BUL3 George Robert De Shurley, BUL3 Allan Leon Mair, BUL3 John Forman Peek, CMGCN James Francis Galati, BUL3 Mark Edward Hodel, and BUHCN James Robert Retzloff Jr.
Builder (Heavy) Constructionman James Robert Retzloff Jr is honored on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 47E, Line 26.
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